Chelmsford becomes the first city in Essex
The county town of Essex, Chelmsford, has been awarded city status to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. It joins Perth in Scotland and St Asaph in Wales. Armagh in Northern Ireland has been granted a lord mayoralty.
It was competing against five other towns in the Anglia region - Colchester, Southend-on-Sea, Corby, Milton Keynes and Luton.
Despite Essex being the biggest county in the Anglia region in terms of population it doesn't currently have a city.
The awards have been made by the Queen on the advice of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, following a competition to bid for civic honours launched in December 2010.
Mr Clegg said the decision to award a new city in England, Scotland and Wales, and a lord mayoralty in Northern Ireland, reflected the significance of every part of the United Kingdom in diamond jubilee year.
– Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg"Across the United Kingdom, I have been moved by the pride and passion which people have shown in putting their nominations forward."
"The standard of application was very high, and those who missed out should not be downhearted."I hope the competition has given the residents of all of the places which applied a sense of civic pride, of collective ownership and of community spirit."
