Queen Elizabeth's name to be 'closely protected', with committee to decide national monument to late monarch
21 July 2023, 19:51
Queen Elizabeth's name will be "closely protected", with businesses, buildings, parks, or pubs wanting to rename themselves after the late monarch needing special permission, the government has said.
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Permission to use the name of the Queen, who died last September aged 96, will be granted "sparingly", the Cabinet Office said.
Officials have said that they want the Queen's name to be used only in "dignified and appropriate" settings.
There are many pubs, streets and businesses named after historic monarchs like Queen Victoria and the various King Georges.
Permission to use the title royal and names and titles of royal family members can only be granted by the monarch, acting on advice from government ministers.
Read more: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dies aged 96, Buckingham Palace confirms
Fresh government guidance states: "Communities, organisations and individuals may wish to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and commemorate her extraordinary reign through the use of her name and title, for example by naming a park, garden or street.
"Requests that incorporate ‘memorial’ or ‘remembrance’ in a proposed name are likely to be looked upon favourably, where possible.
"The full title of Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be closely protected and only be granted for applications with strong Royal connections.
"To ensure the use of Queen Elizabeth II’s name continues to be undertaken in a dignified and appropriate manner, approval will be required."
The criteria an application will need to meet are:
- Reason(s) why the name is being sought
- A history of the organisation/body
- Details of any royal connections or associations (where applicable)
- Any other information that is considered appropriate
The application should be made by the most senior person in the organisation, e.g. chairman, president, or chief executive.
Anyone can create and put up an unofficial statue or portrait without formal approval and, as long as there is no commercial element and the organisers meet the usual planning regulations and approvals, the Cabinet Office said.
Meanwhile a national memorial to the Queen will be decided by a committee, according to the Telegraph. The members of the committee will be announced before the anniversary of her death on September 8.
Careful consideration will be given in due course to the commissioning of an official national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II," the advice added.
