Short answers, pulled from the story.
Letters patent granted to Oxford in the early 20th century marked a formal shift in how sovereign authority recognized municipal leaders. Before this era, the title lord mayor existed only as an informal honor or local custom without royal backing.
Today ten Australian cities hold the title including Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong. These municipalities are primarily state capitals with populations exceeding one hundred thousand residents.
Sir John Stuttard served as Lord Mayor during the 2006 Lord Mayor's Show which drew thousands of spectators to the streets. The Lord Mayor of London holds jurisdiction solely over the City of London while ignoring Greater London's modern administrative boundaries.
Copenhagen employs six specialized mayors who handle specific subjects like schools or roads under a single overborgmester leader. This system distinguishes the role from standard mayoral positions found elsewhere in the British Empire.
Annapolis became the only city in the Thirteen Colonies to receive a royal charter using the lord mayor title before the American Revolution. Niagara-on-the-Lake stands as Canada's sole traditional example due to its role as first capital of Upper Canada.