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Eight places granted city status to celebrate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
The competition was to applicants from Overseas Territories for the first time
A record number of locations across the UK have been awarded prestigious city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The competition last took place during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, and was open for the first time to applicants from Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
The Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition required applicants to demonstrate how their unique communities and distinct local identity meant they deserved to be awarded city status.
They were also required to highlight their royal associations and cultural heritage.
Winning city status can provide a boost to local communities and open up new opportunities for people who live there, as is the case with previous winner Preston, where residents have described how their success contributed to increased national and global opportunities.
Eight locations out of forty applicants went on to win the royal honour this year ahead of the Jubilee weekend, the highest number of awards in a single competition.
The newly crowned cities are:
- Bangor, Northern Ireland
- Colchester, England
- Doncaster, England
- Douglas, Isle of Man
- Dunfermline, Scotland
- Milton Keynes, England
- Stanley, Falkland Islands
- Wrexham, Wales
One of the most talked-about winners was Douglas, which has become the Isle of Man’s first and only city.
David Dixon / Geograph
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said of the new cities: “As we celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s colossal contribution to society, I am thrilled that we are able to recognise some of the many places that make Britain great.
“What was clear to me during the process of assessing each application was the pride that people felt for their communities, local cultural heritage and the Royal Family.
“It is also incredibly reflective of Her Majesty’s global outlook and years of international service that applicants from the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have been selected as winners for the first time.”
You can read more about the winners over on the Gov.uk website.