THOUSANDS of people lined the streets of Southend one year ago today to welcome royalty as Southend was officially bestowed the honour of becoming a city.

This time last year now King, Charles III and his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort, visited Southend to present the letters patent - officially turning the town into a city.

Prior to her death, the Queen had agreed to grant city status to Southend after the shocking murder of Sir David Amess in October 2021.

The adored MP had long campaigned to see Southend made a city, and city status is a lasting tribute to his love and dedication to the area.

To mark the one-year anniversary, pin badges have been delivered to every primary school in Southend as a reminder of that special day.

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Milton Hall School joined the celebrations for the visit by King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla and was among the schools receiving the badges.

Andy Douglas, headteacher at Milton Hall Primary School, said: “We took our Year 6s to the seafront to meet Prince Charles and Camilla and they were so amenable and engaged openly, which meant a lot to the children.

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“Moving from a town to a city probably doesn’t mean a lot to the children right now, but the fact that they can say they were there at the time will mean so much for years to come.

“I remember hearing the children say things like ‘I shook hands with Prince Charles’, ‘I’m not washing my hands for a week!’, because it was a truly memorable experience for them, and they represented Southend really well.”

The letters patent was presented to the 100th mayor, Margaret Borton, who was also the last mayor of the Borough of Southend and the first mayor of the City of Southend.

Her official portrait was unveiled recently at an invitation-only event and has been painted by talented Westcliff-based artist Michelle Goldman. It has been hung in Porters Civic House.

City status has sparked huge investment in Southend and a number of events have been held to celebrate Southend becoming a city.

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The dazzling LuminoCity, the new City Wheel and the new electric pier trains represent some of the success Southend has seen since becoming a city.

The City Celebration Fund, which was set up by Olympus and Southend Council to support community events, helped pay for Southend Pride 2022, Southend Art Trail, the Leigh Folk Festival and more.

Echo:

Stephen George, leader of Southend Council, said: “It has been an amazing first year for our city, a year of historic events and great change.

"There is much our city has to be proud of, with our events, our landmarks, the way we conduct historic events and lean on one another, as communities should, during troubling times.

“I hope as we mark the one-year anniversary, residents and visitors can stop for a moment to appreciate their own contribution to our city, as it is ultimately the people who make any place, what it is.”

A special ceremony for the Southend City Jubilee Awards is taking place at the Civic Centre today, honouring 70 of Southend unsung heroes and heroines.

Anna Firth Tory MP for Southend West said: “Being a city is a truly transformative experience of limitless opportunity it’s a chance to boost our economy, bring in investment, bolster our public infrastructure, and build a better future for our community.”