DURHAM City Council has received the Royal seal of approval for its staging of the Britain in Bloom finals.
The city has been the only venue to host the climax of the popular floral competition twice, this year and in 1996.
The Tidy Britain Group, which organises the competition, picked Durham Cathedral because of the magnificence of its World Heritage Site setting and the support the council gave in 1996.
The council is one of only 12 authorities in the country to be commended in the Queen Mother's Birthday Awards.
Councillor David Bell, chairman of the council's environmental services, received the commendation from Princess Alexandra at a ceremony in London.
He said: "We were delighted to be chosen to host the special Millennium "Bloom'' awards on behalf of the Tidy Britain Group and honoured to receive a Queen Mother's Birthday Award in her centenary year.
"As well as hosting the finals, Durham won the best large town in Northumbria in Bloom for the fourth year in a row this year.
"We have organised complex major national events, which have attracted international visitors to the city."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article