The King and The Queen Consort celebrate Colchester’s new City status
Published
The King and The Queen Consort spent the day in Colchester to celebrate its recently awarded city with local communities

Colchester Castle
The say started at Colchester Castle, where Their Majesties celebrated Colchester’s recently awarded city status with community groups, volunteers, local businesses, conservation projects and arts organisations.

Colchester officially became a city in November 2022, having been awarded the status during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebration
In the Castle Park, The King and The Queen Consort met those who took part in Colchester’s city status procession last year, including charities, volunteers and refugees who have settled in Colchester.

Inside the Castle at a reception, Their Majesties met representatives from organisations including Essex Native Oyster Restoration Initiative; Firstsite, a contemporary art gallery which provides free hot meals to local low-income children and their families; and Next Chapter, a domestic abuse charity supporting survivors in the local area.
The visit finished by meeting the Animal Care Team from Colchester Zoo to hear about their conservation work, and The King and The Queen Consort revealed the chosen name for the Zoo’s newest addition, a baby white rhino named Dara.

Colchester Library
At Colchester Library, The King and The Queen Consort joined Age UK for an afternoon tea with local volunteers, service users and The Silver Line staff to hear about the support provided by the Charity across the region, and its positive impact on older people.

As Prince of Wales, His Majesty become Patron of Age UK in in 2010, which provides information, support, friendship and advice for older people in need.
As Duchess of Cornwall, The Queen Consort became Patron of The Silver Line in 2017. The free and confidential helpline is available day and night for any older person to call if they need information, reassurance or comfort.
Whilst at the library, The Queen Consort also joined a gathering of local authors, children, supporters and volunteers in the Library’s ‘Literacy Corner’ to celebrate the Essex Year of Reading.

The countywide campaign was established to help children and young people discover a lifelong love of reading, and help to ensure every Essex child is able to read at their age level or above.
Her Majesty was welcomed to the Literary Corner by characters Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, played by actors from the local Mercury Theatre. The Mercury Theatre works closely with the library to organise readings of popular children’s books, to bring the literature to life.

The Queen Consort was joined in the literary corner by broadcaster and children’s author Dermot O’Leary, who is local to Colchester and a keen supporter of the Essex Year of Reading, as well as local author Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
Related content





A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a Reception to mark the launch of The Queen’s Reading Room Medal
Making life better is the ultimate aim of my Reading Room. We believe that books make for a happier, healthier and more connected society.
A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a Reception to celebrate the 15th anniversary of WOW (Women of the World)
Without fail, wherever WOW gathers, I have met the most extraordinary and impressive women who have, quite simply, refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.









A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a reception, hosted by the Anne Frank Trust, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day
Let’s unite in our commitment to take action, to speak up and to ensure that the words “Never Forget” are a guiding light that charts a path towards a better, brighter, and...


A message from The King to the people of Glasgow celebrating the city’s 850th anniversary.
It goes without saying that people really do make Glasgow. As one of the most diverse cities in Scotland and beyond, it is entirely fitting that the celebrations to mark this...






A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a reception for winners of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 at Buckingham Palace
Thanks to your talents, your readers are taken on amazing journeys with you across the Commonwealth, from Gambia to Grenada, from Bangladesh to Botswana, from Malta to...
The Queen is presented an Honorary Doctorate of Literature by The Princess Royal
21 November 2024

Her Majesty The Queen’s speech to the CHOGM Women’s Forum
Leaders from around the globe are willing to meet, as equals, and to have difficult, and constructive, conversations.







More details on the upcoming State Visit by The Emperor and Empress of Japan


The King and Queen, joined by Members of the Royal Family, will mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings
A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at the Charleston Festival 2024
Books and gardens are faithful friends to whom we can always turn to. They both have the ability to comfort, to cheer and to connect us with people and nature, reminding us...

