The letter confirming Douglas’ city status is the only one in existence to bear the signatures of both the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III.
The Lord of Mann confirmed the unique feature on the document, officially known as the Letters Patent, in a speech which was read out by his wife Queen Camilla during an address at Douglas City Hall.
The Queen visited the island on Wednesday to officially confer city status on the capital, stepping in for King Charles who recently announced that he would be stepping-back from public duties after being diagnosed with cancer Douglas was one of eight communities in the British Isles to be declared a city as part of the celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in May 2022.
‘You also now have your own cathedral, which holds a newly designated “co-cathedral status” with Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.
‘The granting of your city status is particularly special to me, as your Letters Patent are the only ones in existence that hold both my signature and that of my late mother.’
The late Queen Elizabeth II signed the papers with a view to it being presented, but after she passed away in September 2022, King Charles added his own signature, making the document a historic first for the Isle of Man.
The island’s capital first applied to Westminster to officially be made a city in December 2021, during the same week that Peel became the first town from a crown dependency to have ever launched the same bid.
Sadly, Peel’s application was later rejected.
In his speech, King Charles also confirmed that Douglas is now the only city amongst the three Crown Dependencies.
He said: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, as you mark your well-deserved status as one of the newest cities in the British Isles, and the only one of the Crown Dependencies, I would like to offer on behalf of my wife and myself, my heartfelt congratulations and my very best wishes for the future.’ Following the reading of the speech, in which Camilla referenced ‘greeting the little people at the Fairy Bridge’, Her Majesty the Queen signed the Letters Patent alongside Douglas Mayor Natalie Byron-Teare and Council Leader Claire Wells.
After the signing, Camilla stepped outside to unveil a plaque which read ‘City Hall - Unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Camilla on 20th March 2024’.
Her Majesty then took time to speak to members of the crowds of people who had lined Ridgeway Street to see her.