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Robert Elms has been honoured with the Freedom of the City at the Guildhall

Emma Trehane

September 29, 2025
3 min read

Robert Elms has been honoured with the Freedom of the City at the Guildhall

Robert Elms has been honoured at Guildhall with the City’s historic Freedom, recognising nearly five decades spent championing London’s culture on air and in print. Family, friends and colleagues joined the ceremony at Guildhall.

His is best known for his long-running daily programme on BBC London, alongside books and articles that map the city’s music, fashion and social history. Robert Elms was nominated by the City Corporation’s Policy Chairman Chris Hayward and elected member Helen Fentimen.

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“London has been my inspiration, my audience and my passion,” Elms said after receiving the honour. “As a Londoner and City resident, it is a fantastic moment.”

Hayward praised Elms as an engaged and knowledgeable voice on the capital, while Fentimen highlighted his role in bringing London’s stories to wider audiences.

The Freedom is one of the City’s oldest traditions and today recognises service to London or a significant achievement. For more on the history and process, see official background on the Freedom of the City here.

Elms’s career has been shaped by London itself, and his work continues to shape how Londoners see their city and the people within it.

For more features exploring the City of London’s history and cultural heritage, follow EyeOnLondon City for insightful storytelling you can trust.

[Image Credit | City of London Corporation]

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About Author

Emma Trehane

Emma Trehane is what happens when academia meets adrenaline. She’s run surf hostels, taught Sports and the Humanities, earned a PhD in English Literature, lectured on Romantic poetry, and somehow still found time to found EyeOnLondon - a multimedia platform telling the stories others miss. Her career spans broadsheet editing, media consultancy in the City, and producing reels on everything from Lucian Freud to the Silk Roads. Emma’s equally at home in the British Library or behind the camera, usually balancing a tripod, a script, and a strong opinion. A Freeman of the City of London and a member of the Chelsea Arts Club, she now channels her experience into journalism, storytelling, and the occasional martial arts session to clear her head.