Coins given to mark Queen's 90th birthday

Hampshire County Council’s registration service is giving commemorative coins at each citizenship ceremony until the end of June.

Council leader Cllr Roy Perry said: ‘Becoming a British citizen is a special time in someone’s life as they decide to make the UK their permanent home.

‘This great sense of occasion is even more palpable during current celebrations for the Queen’s 90th birthday.

‘We warmly welcome all our new citizens to Hampshire, and we hope that the commemorative coins will make a wonderful keepsake.’

At a citizenship ceremony on May 5, 40-year-old Romany Girgis Ewada, who is originally from Sohag in Egypt, became a British citizen.

Romany lives in Romsey with his wife Teresa, 44. Teresa explained how much British citizenship means to them as a couple.

She said: ‘It was a lovely day and the staff were so welcoming to us. Seeing Romany become a British citizen now means that we can stay and live together here which is a great feeling, and we also have the freedom to travel and see family across the world.’