Portsmouth feels as though it must have been a city forever. Its harbour has defended England for centuries and its naval story stretches back generations. Yet Portsmouth only officially became a city in 1926.
For centuries Portsmouth had already been nationally important. Its position on Portsea Island and its great natural harbour made it central to defence, shipbuilding, trade and the Royal Navy.
In 1926 King George V granted Portsmouth city status, recognising its civic growth and national importance as the home of the Royal Navy.
That meant Portsmouth's grand Town Hall, opened in 1890, became Portsmouth Guildhall.
The title 'city' therefore arrived surprisingly late in a place whose history was already packed with kings, admirals, warships, dockyards and global voyages.
Today the Guildhall remains one of the city's great landmarks - a reminder that even a place with centuries of history can have a surprisingly recent moment when its official status changed.
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