1994 was a very busy year for Portsmouth, it hosted the D-Day commemorations, Le Tour Bike Race and had its own 800th anniversary.

The city celebrated its 800th anniversary of gaining its 1st Royal Charter by re-enacting the ceremony at the city museum, holding a pageant on Castle Field and for the first year holding a Lord Mayors parade which was such a success it continued for many years, however this sadly no longer takes place.

On the 5th June 1994 the media and the eyes of the world descended on Portsmouth to watch the D-Day 50 commemorations. The list of VIPs was impressive and consisted of the British Royal Family and twelve other heads of state, Jim Bolger (New Zealand Prime Minister), Jean Chretien (Canadian Prime Minister), John Major (British Prime Minister), Lech Walesa (President of Poland), Grand Duke of Luxembourg, President Michael Kovak (Slovakia), Paul Keating (Australian Prime Minister), Gerasimus Aresnis (Greek Defence Minister), Prince Bernard of The Netherlands, King Albert of Belgium, President Bill Clinton, The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, President Francois Mitter of France and King Harald of Norway.

The service was started by a drum head service, from this the Queen boarded her Royal Yacht, HMY Britannia, and reviewed the fleet at Spithead. There was then an aerial fly past of planes of all ages, the Queen then made her way to France. This was not the end of the commemorations for Portsmouth, there was a march past by the veterans and a display on Southsea Common.

Portsmouth also hosted the Le Tour De France cycle race on the 7th July 1994 and hosted the start and finish which had not been hosted by any other one city apart from Paris. The race started with a warm up along the seafront before heading up to the Eastern Road where the race began before it made its way out of the city. While away the city hosed a variety of entertainment ranging from the Red Arrows to an antique bike display. The race then returned, proceeded by the cavalcade of vehicles, back to the the seafront.