Queen Elizabeth's name will be 'closely protected'

Buildings, parks, pubs or businesses cannot be renamed after the late Queen Elizabeth without specific permission, the Cabinet Office has warned.

The name of the late Queen is going to be "closely protected" in terms of how it can be used, says new guidance.

The Cabinet Office says permission for using the late Queen's name will only be "sparingly granted".

An "official national memorial" to the late Queen is also to be commissioned, says the Cabinet Office.

There are many places and businesses named after historic royal names - from the Royal Albert Hall to the Queen Victoria pub in BBC TV's EastEnders soap opera.

But official guidance has recently been issued by the Cabinet Office warning about the limits on using modern royal names and titles.

In particular there are concerns about ensuring the late Queen's name is only used in "dignified and appropriate" ways.

"The full title of Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be closely protected to preserve the rarity of the honour," says a government spokeswoman.

With the anniversary of the Queen's death approaching in September, the guidance points to the "commissioning of an official national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II", which will be announced "in due course".

But the Cabinet Office says that many local organisations or community groups might want their own memorial to the late Queen, such as naming a park, or local amenity, or business or street after her.

But there's a warning that "strict standards are applied", with inquiries in England and Northern Ireland managed by the Cabinet Office, and by the governments in Scotland and Wales.

The use of "Queen Elizabeth II" will "only be granted for applications with strong royal connections," says the government guidance.

"Requests that incorporate 'memorial' or 'remembrance' in a proposed name are likely to be looked upon favourably, where possible," says the advice for applications to use the name.

There are already some projects named after the late Queen, including the Elizabeth Line on the London underground.

This was one of the last public projects opened by Queen Elizabeth. There had been doubts about her attendance, but she surprised people by carrying out the official opening, at Paddington Station in May 2022.

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