Gibraltar was among 39 places in the UK and British Overseas Territories competing to win city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in a competition last year, against locations ranging from Alcester to Wrexham, via of the Cayman Islands. Unfortunately for the Gibraltarians, they failed in their attempt – or so they thought. By publishing a new record of the 81 places that have so far achieved special status, including the eight new designations awarded as part of the competition – and through research in the National Archives – the government learned that Queen Victoria had indeed awarded her status city of Gibraltar in 1842, but was omitted from the official list of recognized cities. Bangor, Colchester, Doncaster, Dunfermline, Milton Keynes and Wrexham all received city status through the competition, along with Douglas in the Isle of Man and Stanley in the Falkand Islands. Boris Johnson said it was “great” to see Gibraltar confirmed as a city, calling it a “huge accolade” for its “rich history and dynamism”. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Traditionally, city status was linked to having an Anglican cathedral, but these days the monarch can choose to elevate cities based on government advice. The smallest recognized town in the UK is St David’s in Wales, with a population of 1,841.
