Would you Adam and Eve’ it? Pearlie Queen is only 11!

A GOOD old cockney knees-up has kicked of the crowning’ of a new Pearly Queen in London’s East End—and she’s only 11. Little Jodie-Lee Borer was crowned outside a traditional East End pub Pearly Queen of Dalston’

By Lee Peart

A GOOD old cockney knees-up has kicked of the crowning’ of a new Pearly Queen in London’s East End—and she’s only 11.

Little Jodie-Lee Borer was crowned outside a traditional East End pub at Bethnal Green with the title Pearly Queen of Dalston’ just three days before the real Queen toured the area with Prince Philip.

Friends and family were packed into Whitechapel’s Carpenter’s Arms—but had to come out into the street to watch.

Jodie-Lee was too young, of course, to go into a boozer where these crowing c0ckney occasions usually take place.

PROUD TRADITION

She comes from a proud cockney family dynasty. Her mum, Lorraine Wells, is Pearly Queen of Tower Hamlets. Her great-grandfather George Hitchen travelled the world for charity as Pearly King of the City of London.

Now the costermonger family dynasty’ has spread north into neighbouring Dalston.

“I was choked,” her mum admitted when she saw her little daughter crowned. “I was very proud of her.”

A procession of Pearly families in their traditional costumes with thousands of mother-of-pearl buttons sewn on led the new Pearlie queen to a stage where she was crowned and blessed by The Rev Alan Green, vicar at St John-on-Bethnal Green, the cockneys’ own church.