Maidenhead & Windsor Olympians could receive highest civic honour

The Royal Borough may make them 'freemen'

Author: Jonathan RichardsPublished 2nd Aug 2021
Last updated 2nd Aug 2021

Olympic heroes from Maidenhead and Windsor could receive the highest civic honour available.

Council leader Andrew Johnson says he'd like to see swimmer Tom Dean and rower Jack Beaumont from Maidenhead, and canoeist Mallory Franklin from Windsor awarded the freedom of the Royal borough.

It's an honour that's only been awarded 15 times before and hasn't been handed out since 2012.

Councillor Johnson says it would be well-deserved:

"We have had so far a phenomenally successful Olympics we are rightly proud of all those who have won medals but have also taken part in the games and we just really feel we'd like to put on a fitting tribute to recognise all the hard work and endeavour that's gone in to that success"

Tom Dean made history becoming the first British male swimmer in 113 years to win two gold medals at a single Olympic game after he and his teammates triumphed in the 4x200m freestyle in Tokyo.

Silver medallist Jack Beaumont

Rower Jack Beaumont bagged silver with his men’s quadruple sculls team and Mallory Franklin won silver at canoe slalom in the C1 class.

Silver medallist Mallory Franklin

The council leader says whilst freedom of the Royal borough is definitely something they are considering there could be other ideas to celebrate the success as well:

"It's very very rare that we grant this (freedom of the borough) it's not something the council has done for a very long time but in terms of other initiatives we are very much open to people's thoughts and ideas, could be anything from a parade through the two towns to a roll call of honour on a wall at the council's new Braywick leisure centre."

Previous recipients of the Freedom of the Borough:

1947 - HM Queen Elizabeth II

1970 - HRH The Prince of Wales KG KT

1980 - HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother*

1995 - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GBE*

1974 - Thomas Bailey*

1974 - Stanley Platt MBE*

1975 - Sir John Smith CH CBE*

1988 - James Matthews*

1994 - Peter Gray MBE

1996 - Geoffrey Blacker OBE

1999 - Sir Nicholas Winton MBE*

1999 - Harry Parker*

2003 - Sir Clive Woodward CBE

2008 - David Lunn OBE

2012 - David Oram FRICS

*deceased

The council say no decisions or votes on the ideas will be made until after the Paralympic games which follow a few weeks after the Olympics finish.

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