![Freedom of the City](https://cdn.newsserve.net/en/knowledge/Freedom-of-the-City_20240711.jpg)
'I was given Freedom of City but not freedom of room'
Anna Landre got an award for her disability work but was denied the chance to accept it on stage.
The Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected citizens freedom from serfdom, the tradition still lives on in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand—although today the title of "freeman" confers no special privileges. The Freedom of the City can also be granted by municipal authorities to military units which have earned the city's trust; in this context, it is sometimes called the Freedom of Entry. This allows them the freedom to parade through the city, and is an affirmation of the bond between the regiment and the citizenry.
Anna Landre got an award for her disability work but was denied the chance to accept it on stage.