Queen Camilla grants Isle of Man capital Douglas city status as she steps up for King
Her Majesty Queen Camilla received a warm welcome in Douglas as ITV's Isle of Man reporter Joshua Stokes reports
Queen Camilla has declared the Isle of Man's capital a city as she continues her royal duties without the King who was "sorry" to miss the visit.
King Charles is taking a step back from public-facing duties following medical advice while he continues treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
On Wednesday, Her Majesty the Queen unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark her "historic" visit to the island.
She went on to sign the Letter Patent, a legal document signed by a monarch, to grant city status to Douglas.
This particular Letter Patent is significant as it is the only one in existence that has both Queen Elizabeth's and King Charles' signature.
Queen Camilla went on to read a speech on behalf of the King, saying he was “so sorry” he could not be there himself to celebrate the “extremely special occasion”.
She thanked residents for their “warm welcome” before reading out a speech prepared by her husband which acknowledged the late Queen Elizabeth II.
It read: “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.
“Therefore, 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.”
Queen Camilla was met with large crowds outside Douglas City Hall, with Her Majesty meeting many well-wishers before she was escorted to Government House, in Onchan.
The Queen joked about her grandson Louis being “quite a handful” when she met a baby in the crowd with the same name. She said: “I have a Louis grandson… quite a handful”.
She was introduced to a number of representatives from local charities and community groups such as the RNLI and the Manx Bluetits swimming club.
Douglas was named a city as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in May 2022, one of eight communities in the British Isles to receive the honour.
King Charles has visited the Isle of Man on three occasions, but his last visit was in 2012 as the Prince of Wales, accompanied by Camilla.
The UK's longest reigning Monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II, visited the Island on five official state occasions and was warmly welcomed by the Manx people.
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