Colchester: Queen signed letters patent three days before death

The letters patent confer city status upon Colchester

Queen Elizabeth signed the paperwork for the letters patent, declaring Colchester a city, just three days before she died.

Colchester was named one of eight towns to be made cities to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this year.

His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst, presented the parchment letters to the mayor, Tim Young, on Wednesday.

She said they were "the last one that the Queen signed before she died".

Mr Young said it was "humbling that one of Her Majesty the Queen's final acts was to bestow city status upon Colchester".

The letters patent declare that the Queen has conferred on "the borough of Colchester in our county of Essex the status of a city".

The parchment document was presented on Wednesday evening

A spokesman for Colchester City Council confirmed the paperwork for the letters was signed by Her Majesty the Queen on 5 September, and the letters patent bear the same date.

The Queen died at Balmoral on 8 September.

With the official letters patent delivered, Colchester - Britain's oldest recorded town - is now officially the UK's newest and 76th, city.

His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Jennifer Tolhurst, presented the letters patent on Wednesday

Philip Wise, heritage manager at Colchester City Council, said Colchester had been a city during Roman times and residents had waited "a very long time to have our city status restored".