by holdthefrontpage staff
The Evening Press was given the royal seal of approval during the Royal Ascot festival in York.
It came in the form of praise from the Duke of York during the displaced five-day racing festival when he attended a glittering reception in honour of Evening Press Community Pride heroes.
The newspaper launched its York Community Pride Awards last year, rewarding citizens who have made an outstanding difference to the local community.
Last year's winners were treated to a day at the royal races and then on to a reception at the city's Mansion House where they met Prince Andrew.
He said: "I would like to congratulate everybody for this excellent idea of community pride.
"I would like to say thank you to the Evening Press for their facilitation of an event and award system such as this. I wish you every success as you continue this process."
Editor Kevin Booth with the Duke of York
It came during a busy week for York and its local paper as 220,000 racegoers flocked to the city's Knavesmire for the five-day Ascot meeting.
Every day the Evening Press produced an eight-page tabloid supplement on top of five-page in-paper coverage.
Sales have yet to be confirmed but early indications are for a big boost in circulation.
The paper's website www.thisisyork.co.uk also backed a winner with its Ascot section. Hundreds of Evening Press pictures - published and unpublished - of the fun, fashions and frolics were uploaded daily into an Ascot Album which attracted more than a quarter of a million hits in five days.
Photo sales are also enjoying a major surge as a result of the album and this week the paper is rounding off its Ascot coverage with a 16-page souvenir supplement.
Editor Kevin Booth said: "It was a once-in-a-lifetime event for the city and for our newspaper.
"Our coverage reflected that. It has been months in the planning and we are celebrating a resounding success.
"Staff rose to the royal occasion, with lots of effort and enthusiasm. They were fantastic."
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