The Chamberlain of London is an ancient office, responsible for collection and distribution of revenues within the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

. Nominally appointed by The Crown

The Crown

The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...

, the office-holder's term traditionally begins on Midsummer Day and cannot be removed "unless some great cause of complaint appear against him".

In 1590, the right of the Chamberlain to levy local taxes on goods sold within the city was upheld in The Chamberlain of London’s Case as a valid regulatory measure.

Today the office is largely ceremonial, administering the creation of Freemen of London and collecting fixed penalties

Fixed Penalty Notice

Fixed penalty notices were introduced in Britain in the 1950s to deal with minor parking offences. Originally used by police and traffic wardens, their use has extended to other public officials and authorities, as has the range of offences for which they can be used.In recent years, this has...

for vehicular parking offences.