During a special ceremony at Guildhall in London, Prem Rawat received the Freedom of the City of London in front of more than 100 distinguished guests. He was nominated for the Freedom of the City in recognition of his 40 years of relentless efforts toward peace, human dignity, and humanitarian work.

As the ceremony commenced, Prem Rawat was greeted by a guard of honour before taking the formal oath of admission to the Freedom. The Freedom of the City was presented by the Remembrancer, the most senior law officer of the City of London’s Chamberlain’s Court. The short ceremony was followed by a speech by Prem Rawat and a guest reception at the Livery Hall of Guildhall.

The event was attended by officials and representatives of the City of London and its Guilds including representatives of City University, Royal Armouries, The Prince’s Trust, The St. John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital and other NGO’s.

A senior City of London official attending the ceremony said: "The Freedom of the City of London is one of London's oldest traditions. I was delighted to see Prem Rawat receive it and welcome him as a citizen of London. Although the recipient no longer enjoys some of the more famous advantages of the award, such as driving sheep across London Bridge or carrying a drawn sword in the City's streets, Prem Rawat very much enjoyed the occasion, and we are honoured to have welcomed such a distinguished person to the Freedom."

Unusually and in recognition of the importance of the occasion, the Freedom ceremony was conducted in the Livery Hall of the Guildhall providing additional space for the large number of guests. It is rare for the ceremony to be performed outside of the Chamberlain’s Court, the last time being for the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

Prem Rawat expressed that he was deeply honoured to receive the Freedom of the City of London and gave thanks to the various officials conducting the ceremony. In his speech he focused on the importance of peace and prosperity, stating that peace would be the crowning achievement of humanity. Prem Rawat went on to say:

“There are no markers for peace. Peace is simplicity itself. Peace is a feeling that a person feels every day that they get up. Peace is something that they understand; peace is something that they welcome. And of course, in peace, comes a natural freedom, a natural freedom to pursue their beliefs, pursue their religion, pursue the avenues that they want to pursue so they can have prosperity. You see, that’s how prosperity is linked with peace.”

In an emotional moment as City of London officials closed the ceremony, they presented Mrs. Rawat with a silver City of London brooch in recognition of her “outstanding support” for her husband’s efforts over many years.

The event concluded with Prem Rawat meeting and talking with various representatives of City of London organisations and NGO’s. Classical music was provided by students of the Guildhall School of Music.

The Freedom of the City of London is one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies in existence today. The first documented example of the Freedom being granted is in 1237. The Freedom is considered to be the “original keys to the city” upon which all others are based.

Famous Honorary Freemen include The Queen, Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, Florence Nightingale, General Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill.