The Charter Trustees of the City of Carlisle have appointed Miss Jeanette Whalen to the Civic role during a ‘Mayor Making’ ceremony which was held at the Civic Centre on Wednesday 21 May 2025. She replaces Chris Southward who had been mayor for 2024/25.
Anne Glendinning will serve as the deputy mayor for this year.
Miss Whalen, who will be accompanied by her daughter Francesca as mayoress, has decided to nominate Carlisle Foodbank and Safety Net, who offer support for domestic and sexual abuse, as her two chosen charities.
The Mayor of Carlisle, Jeanette Whalen, said: “To me, it is an absolute privilege to be the Mayor of Carlisle, and I am the first female mayor to be appointed by the Charter Trustees. I will continue to push for Carlisle’s city status to be maintained.
“Carlisle to me is the jewel in the crown of Cumberland and I will shout from the rooftops about how brilliant it is.”
The position of Mayor of Carlisle is believed to have been created in 1231, when the city was first officially granted independence to run itself. The special status of the city was reaffirmed in various ancient Charters including Edward III’s Charter of 1353 which ‘consolidated all the aforesaid liberties and quittances belonging to the said Citie they have had from time whereof memory is not’. Each year, the incoming Mayor swears an oath dating back to 1558 when Elizabeth I was crowned Queen by the Bishop of Carlisle.
Traditionally the Mayor was elected by "citizens of that city continually residing in the same" - that is, the Freemen. After 1835, councillors who have been elected to represent different wards of the city have chosen the mayor. Whereas in the past the mayor was executive leader of the Council, it is latterly an honorary position. Since the abolition of Carlisle City Council, the Mayor chairs the Charter Trustees of the City of Carlisle, a body created by legal order to preserve the historic traditions of the City and maintain the ancient charters and regalia, including the City Sword (1509), City Mace (1685) and the Mayoral Chain and Insignia (1850).
Miss Whalen is a serving member of Cumberland Council, representing the Yewdale ward in Carlisle. Cllr Whalen had previously represented the Sandsfield Park and Morton West ward on the former Carlisle City Council having been elected in 2019.
Image credit: Jenny Woolgar Photography
