Gibraltar's Bid to Become a City Unearths Surprising News

Turns out UK territory has been on nation's city list since 1842, but no one informed Gibraltar
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 30, 2022 9:15 AM CDT
Gibraltar's Bid to Become a City Unearths Surprising News
Stock photo of the Rock of Gibraltar.   (Getty Images/JaysonOertel)

If you didn't know that Gibraltar, the United Kingdom territory famous for its nearly 1,400-foot-high limestone rock, was actually a city, don't feel bad—neither did the people of Gibraltar, for nearly two centuries. A 180-year-old clerical error has now been corrected, however, and Gibraltar was finally added Monday to the official list of recognized British cities, in a move that the Guardian frames as "better late than never."

Earlier this year, ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebration, dozens of locations in UK proper and in territories overseas had added their names onto a list to be considered for "city" status—a designation typically reserved for places that boast a cathedral or university, though the rules are flexible, per the BBC. Gibraltar, located off the southern coast of Spain and a UK territory since 1713, was one of those vying to be named a city, but when the eight winners of the competition were announced, Gibraltar wasn't among them. However, a shocking revelation was made when the winners were announced: Researchers diving into the UK's National Archives discovered that Gibraltar was already a city, and had been since 1842.

As it turns out, that was the year when Queen Victoria had bestowed the label of "city" on Gibraltar, but somehow it was inadvertently left off the list of official cities, and no one ever caught on to the omission. The BBC notes there are no real "material benefits" for such an honor, but it adds that "it can often provide a boost to communities by putting them on the map and is normally a source of pride for residents." At any rate, Boris Johnson is offering up congrats. "It is excellent to see official recognition given to the city of Gibraltar, a huge accolade to its rich history and dynamism," the UK's prime minister says in a statement, per Reuters. (More Gibraltar stories.)

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