The Freedom of the City of Derry was last granted in 1963 to the Honourable The Irish Society which, under a Charter of James I, built and maintained Derry's walls to "help control the local Irish rebels" in 1614.
Forty individuals have been given the honour since 1690. Previous recipients include:
1690: The Duke of Schomberg, who fought for King William at the Boyne;
1786: William Pitt, British prime minister;
1807: Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington;
1817: Robert Peel, British prime minister;
1879: Ulysses S. Grant, US Civil War general and later president;
1924: The Duke of York (later George VI);
1945: Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery;
1955: Sir Winston Churchill, British prime minister.
