
London doesn’t really need an introduction. The most visited city in the world is home to Big Ben, double-decker buses, the Queen, the Tube, Shoreditch hipsters, Sloane Rangers, Tower Bridge, pinstripe suits and bowler hats, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar square. What lies behind London’s rise to glory is commerce. By the 10th century, London was England’s largest city and most important trading centre. By the 1700s, trading ships were arriving carrying all kinds of goods for sale in the City. Tea, silk and spices came from the Orient, sugar was brought from the Caribbean, timber came from Norway and iron ore arrived from Sweden. During the 19th century, London was transformed into the world’s largest city and the capital of the British Empire. Today, London is the world’s leading financial centre alongside New York City and is a leading global city, with the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, media, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence.