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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
George Thorpe

Queen grants Wrexham and Douglas city status along with six other towns

Wrexham and Douglas are among the eight UK towns that have been granted city status as part of celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Alongside the Welsh and Isle of Man towns, Bangor in Northern Ireland has also been named a city as has Colchester in Essex, Doncaster in Yorkshire and Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire in England. In Scotland, Dunfermline is now a city.

Meanwhile, the Falklands Islands capital Stanley has also been granted the status. Stanley's and Douglas' move from town to city is the first time a location on an Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency has received the honour.

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The granting of city status to the eight towns is part of the commemorations for Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee. Similar moves have been made during previous jubilees.

Speaking about the city statuses being granted, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said the places "make Britain great". The Conservative MP said: "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.

Aerial photograph showing Wrexham (Richard Williams)

"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."

The granting of city status has been greeted with excitement and delight across the locations who have received it. Alfred Cannan, the Isle of Man's chief minister, said: "Douglas being named as one of the eight city status winners, and leading the way for the Crown Dependencies, is a huge honour for the island and celebrates our unique mix of culture, history and heritage.

"The accolade is a marvellous way to mark our relationship with Her Majesty The Queen, our Lord of Mann, while celebrating the Platinum Jubilee."

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart welcomed the news of Wrexham being granted city status. He said: "Wrexham has a wonderful history and an exciting future and I am absolutely delighted to see it awarded city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

"There is already much for Wrexham to be proud of and I hope city status will bring further recognition for everything the community has to offer and brings further opportunities for Wrexham’s prosperity and growth."

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