Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours

As part of the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II awarded a number of civic honours, most notably the creation of new cities in a competition.

[8] Similar city status awards were presented for the Millennium in 2000 (Brighton and Hove, Inverness, Wolverhampton) and for the Golden Jubilee in 2002 (Preston, Newport, Stirling, Lisburn, and Newry).

[9] For the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, 26 towns applied to become cities: Bolton, Bournemouth, Chelmsford, Colchester, Coleraine, Corby, Craigavon, Croydon, Doncaster, Dorchester, Dudley, Dumfries, Gateshead, Goole, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Perth, Reading, Southend, St Asaph, St Austell, Stockport, Tower Hamlets and Wrexham.

[12] On 8 June 2021, the government announced a new competition for city status for towns across the United Kingdom, crown dependencies and overseas territories, to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

[14][15] On 1 March 2022, Charles, Prince of Wales presented the letters patent on behalf of the Queen, in the council chamber at Southend Civic Centre, officially granting city status to the town.