Gibraltar has been finally recognized in the official list of British cities, after 180 years the territory was granted city status by Queen Victoria, which was ignored due to administrative error.
The British overseas territory demanded recognition as a city earlier in 2022 as part of the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, but research in the National Archives found it had long been granted city status in 1842.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a statement disclosed: “It is excellent to see official recognition given to the City of Gibraltar, a huge accolade to its rich history and dynamism.
“This official recognition re-affirms Gibraltar’s special status in the Realms of Her Majesty, and rightly signifies the pride that Gibraltarians feel for their community and their distinctive heritage.”
Spain ceded the strategically important rocky outpost at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea to Britain in 1713 after a war but has long called for it to be returned.
In 2002, 99 per cent of voters in Gibraltar rejected the idea of Britain sharing sovereignty with Spain.
The status of Gibraltar and how to police the border with Spain has been am issue of contention since Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union (EU).
The peninsula was excluded from the exit deal reached between Britain and the EU