Three new cities named

Wolverhampton receives the news in traditional manner

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Britain elevated three of its towns to city status on Monday to commemorate the new Millennium.

Brighton & Hove, on the south east coast of England, Inverness in northern Scotland, and Wolverhampton in the heart of central England were all upgraded to cities by the Queen.

The three were chosen from a total of 39 applicants.

"The unsuccessful applicants will of course be disappointed not to have been honoured on this occasion," the government said in a statement.

But it added that these towns could try for the next round of city honours, which will be to mark the Queen's golden jubilee in 2002.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Home Office

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.