This afternoon was my first citizenship ceremony as Lord Mayor. This event appears to have been borrowed from the Americans, but is still a lovely way to welcome new citizens to the country and to Swansea.
Today we were granting citizenship to nine individuals and one teenager from a diverse grouping of countries. Many of them already live in Swansea and have done so for some time, but with Brexit looming may well have felt they needed the extra security of being a UK citizen.
The ceremony involves the Lord Lieutenant or his deputy, Lord Mayor and High Sheriff, all of whom address the applicants and their families, welcoming them and telling them something about our role and the area.
There is a swearing in ceremony and then the three of us present certificates and a memento of the occasion. We then pose for photographs so that the new citizens can have a record to take with them.
Today also featured a bonus, as it was the High Sheriff, Sally Goldstone's birthday and she had brought cake. Cake should be a feature of citizenship in my opinion. Sally is pictured with some of the new citizens cutting her cake.
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