The 696th Lord Mayor of London, The Rt Hon Alastair King, presided over Sir David becoming a Freeman of the City of London in a private ceremony at Mansion House. The ancient honour, awarded to individuals for significant contributions to public life, recognised Sir David’s lifetime of work across scholarship, philanthropy, art and cultural diplomacy.
At a reception hosted at the historic Guildhall, the Lord Mayor – in his final evening of his term in office – described his final honouree as “one of the world’s foremost champions of cultural philanthropy, who has shown how culture can serve as a bridge rather than a barrier between people and nations.”
Sir David remarked: “This feels extraordinarily special. The City of London is not just the heart of this great city, it is the heartbeat of global trade and commerce, where the spirit of entrepreneurship continues to flourish.”
The award, which alongside its privileged status and membership also allows its Freemen to drive their sheep over London Bridge without paying a toll, is the latest in a long line of recognitions for Sir David that has included: being knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his services to interfaith relations; knighted by two pontiffs, including Pope Benedict XVI who said that he possessed “in one person the great wisdom of a Chief Rabbi, a Cardinal, and a Grand Mufti,”; as well as being recognised as a Goodwill Ambassador by UNESCO.
Among the distinguished guests in attendance were Professor Colin Riordan, Secretary-General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, with whom Sir David has collaborated on an initiative supporting Commonwealth Small Island States to combat climate change; Lucy Crompton-Reid, Chief Executive of Wikimedia UK which the Khalili Collection partners with to make its extensive art collections accessible to the public through open knowledge platforms; and Nero Ughwujabo of The King’s Trust, a partner of the Khalili Foundation to fostering social cohesion across the United Kingdom.
