The Mayoralty is the most exalted position in the gift of a Municipal Corporation and those members of our Borough Council who are elected to this office are rightly proud of its traditions. The Mayor is still the official representative of the Crown in the Borough, second only to the Lord Lieutenant of the County.

The primary legal function of the Mayor of the Borough is to act as Chairman and preside over meetings of the Borough Council; if he/she is present at a meeting then he/she must preside. The Mayor also acts as Returning Officer in the Parliamentary Elections.

The Mayor is 'made' at the Annual Meeting of the Council which is usually held in May each year. Prior to 1947 the Annual Mayor-Making ceremony was held in November.

The Mayoralty is the primary part of the Civic heritage of Ipswich and plays an increasing part in the civic, commercial and community life of the town. Duties carried out by the Mayor during the course of a Year in Office, include:

• Visits to Centenarians;
• Visits to couples on their Diamond Wedding Anniversary;
• Recognition of outstanding feats by local residents, e.g, World Champions;
• Receiving parties of overseas visitors to the town;
• Receiving Captains of visiting ships, both from overseas and our own Royal Navy;
• Opening new businesses;
• Launching Mayor charity appeals;
• Opening fêtes and fairs;
• Hosting Receptions;
• Leading Civic Ceremonial events;
• Attending Royal visits;
• Chairing Council meetings.

The modern Mayor of Ipswich attends many more functions than their predecessors. The average number of engagements in recent years has been between 450 and 650 engagements per year. This equates to an average of 1½ per day.

If you would like to invite the Mayor of Ipswich to attend your event or function please complete the online application form.

For the protocols to be followed when meeting and addressing the Mayor please see here.