Will King Charles visit Milton Keynes to formally bestow our city status?

Milton Keynes was awarded the coveted status by the Queen in May as part of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Ever since, we have been calling ourselves a city and this month MK Council even changed its name to Milton Keynes City Council.

But, in fact, until the moment an official Letters Patent document from the Queen is handed to our Mayor, MK is still technically still a mere town.

This Wednesday, September 14, the Letters Patent was due to be presented by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Countess Howe in the council chamber at 6.30pm. And this was set to be the exact moment that MK became a true city.

Meanwhile back in May, MK Council announced the ceremony would be followed by a Royal visit later in the year to celebrate the new status.

A council spokesman said at the time: “Later this year we’ll receive a Royal visit ... Watch this space for more about that.”

Today the council announced that the Letters Patent ceremony has been cancelled due to the period of national mourning for the Queen.

No more details have been given about the Royal visit, when it will be, or which member of the Royal family will be chosen.

"It would be wonderful if it were King Charles. MK could go down in history as one of the first places he visited as King,” said a source.

But currently, with the Letters Patent ceremony cancelled until further notice, MK is technically still a mere town.

“Confirmed city status will not be official until the Letters Patent is presented to the mayor,” said the source. “But I’m sure nobody will complain about MK calling itself a city in the meantime!”

Milton Keynes was one of eight towns to be granted city status by Her Majesty the Queen to mark her Platinum Jubilee. The council had submitted the formal bid to Buckingham Palace in December – by Starship delivery robot for the first leg of the journey.