LONDON, England: Gibraltar, which bid to become a city earlier this year as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, at last joined the official list of British cities this week.
This comes after 180 years in which its status, granted by Queen Victoria, had been overlooked due to an administrative error.
“It is excellent to see official recognition given to the City of Gibraltar, a huge accolade to its rich history and dynamism,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.
“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 percent of voters in Gibraltar rejected the idea of Britain sharing sovereignty with Spain.
Informal arrangements are in place while the two sides negotiate over Gibraltar, which overwhelmingly backed remaining in the EU during the Brexit referendum.
