Colchester granted city status as part of Platinum Jubilee celebrations
It becomes the third city in Essex
Last updated 20th May 2022
Colchester has been awarded city status to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
It's one of a record eight places granted the honour, and becomes the third city in the county of Essex, following Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea.
Colchester has actually been a city before - albeit an ancient one. It was Britain’s first ever ancient city under the Romans in AD49 but, until now, it had never achieved modern city status.
The Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Robert Davidson, told us how thrilled he was about the news: "I'm absolutely delighted, and humbled, actually, that the Queen has seen fit to honour Colchester as one of her Jubilee cities.
"We're so excited... hopefully this achievement recognises the fact that we've been the fastest growing and most dynamic city in the Eastern region for many years."
He told us what the new title will mean for the people of Colchester: "Gaining city status will only enhance our reputation and hopefully deliver additional economic investment, growth and jobs.
"It will also secure our place as a significant destination with everything we've got to offer culturally for tourists."
As part of the application process for city status, applicants had to demonstrate its unique communities and distinct local identity, as well as their royal associations and cultural heritage.
The Mayor believes they deliver on all of the above: "We are so proud of our army garrison, our top grade university and our arts and culture offerings. "We're proud to be a welcoming and friendly place to visit and live and will embrace this opportunity of city status which Her Majesty has kindly granted us."
Here's a complete list of the newly crowned cities:
- England - Colchester
- England - Doncaster
- England - Milton Keynes
- Scotland - Dunfermline
- Wales - Wrexham
- Northern Ireland - Bangor
In addition to that list, for the first time ever, Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have competed for and been granted city status. Stanley in the Falklands, and Douglas on the Isle of Man will now be regarded as cities.
Winning city status can boost local economies and create new opportunities for the people who live there and contribute to increased national and global standing, putting them on the international map as a place to do business.
"Reflective of the Queen’s global outlook"
Steve Barclay, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said: “I am delighted that a record number of locations have been awarded the prestigious city status as part of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
"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.
“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.
“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.
“I look forward to the world coming together to show our pride and gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II on the Jubilee weekend.”
The competition for city status has taken place in each of the last three jubilee years, with previous winners including Chelmsford, Lisburn and Newport.
Introducing the new cities
Bangor
Bangor has a naval heritage. Due to its location at the mouth of the Belfast Lough, it became a key site for allied forces during the Second World War.
Colchester
Colchester is Britain's first recorded settlement and its first capital.
Doncaster
Originally a Roman settlement, Doncaster is almost 2000 years old. Its industrial heritage is built on rail and coal, with The Flying Scotsman and The Mallard both built there. Doncaster is synonymous with the St. Leger, founded in 1776 and the oldest classic horse race in the world.
Douglas, Isle of Man
Her Majesty The Queen is patron of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution which originates from Douglas. George IV was the original patron, before it became the RNLI under the patronage of Queen Victoria in 1854.
Dunfermline
Dunfermline became the centre of Scottish kingship under the reign of Malcolm III. It was his principal residence and court, where he married his wife (Margaret of Wessex) in the first union of the crowns between England and Scotland.
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes is the pinnacle of the national post-war planning movement. It is a new town started in Her Majesty's reign.
Stanley, Falkland Islands
The island celebrates the Queen's birthday on the 21st April. The islands are regularly visited by the royal family, starting with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1957. In 2016, the Duke of Cambridge was deployed to the Falkland Islands, spending a 6 week tour there as a search and rescue helicopter pilot.
Wrexham
The architectural heritage of the area was recognised when UNESCO deemed the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct a World Heritage Site (describing it as 'a masterpiece of creative genius').