Royal Tunbridge Wells to have been granted this (the others being Royal Leamington Spa and Royal Wootton Bassett). Although "Wells" has a plural form, it refers to the principal source, the chalybeate spring in the Pantiles (where the "waters" were taken). Royal Tunbridge Wells is the administrative centre for both Tunbridge Wells Borough and the parliamentary constituency of Tunbridge Wells. The Borough is governed by 48 Councillors, representing 20 wards (eight wards fall within the town of Tunbridge Wells itself). Elections are held for 16 Council seats each year on a rotational basis, with elections to Kent County Council taking place in the
Royal Tunbridge Wells in the 2008 council elections. The Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells is the Conservative Greg Clark, who was elected in 2005 with a majority of 9,988 and held the seat in 2010 with a majority of 15,576. The constituency has been Conservative since its inception in 1974 for the 1974 General Election; the two previous MPs were Sir Patrick Mayhew (1974–1997) and the former Asda chairman Archie Norman (1997–2005). In 2006 the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells was estimated to have a population of approximately 56,500. The wider borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells is home to considerably more people—some