The airport in the French town of Le Touquet has been renamed after King Charles’s late mother, Queen Elizabeth.
The mayor of the town, Daniel Fasquelle, said Monday that Buckingham Palace has agreed to his council’s request.
According to royal sources, the King was more concerned with not expressing any resistance to the change than with openly endorsing it, as the airport would henceforth be designated as Elizabeth II Le Touquet -Paris-Plage International Airport.
Six days after the Queen died on September 8, the authorities in Le Touquet contacted Buckingham Palace to request permission for the name change to honor her and her visit to the town in the 1930s.
When she was still Princess Elizabeth, the Queen went sand yachting and horseback riding with her uncle Edward VIII, who was then Prince of Wales.
Mr. Fasquelle characterized the decision as “a homage to a great Queen and her uncle, a lover of France, and recognition for the most British of French airports.”
He said: “With the agreement of King Charles now given, all that remains is to fix a date for the opening ceremony.
“In the years to come, the Elizabeth II Le Touquet -Paris-Plage International Airport is destined to strengthen a bit more the link between Le Touquet and Great Britain.”
The King and Queen Camilla are slated to visit France on September 20, which had to be rescheduled after being postponed in March owing to unrest in the country.
It was previously believed that Charles planned to meet his estranged son Prince Harry in London before his journey to France, as Harry returns from the Invictus Games in Germany.
However, royal officials have downplayed claims that they may meet in person, despite the King’s willingness to reconcile in the future.
According to sources, Prince William is not interested in speaking with his brother because he is still stung by allegations made about him in Harry’s biography Spare.
A friend of William’s told the Daily Beast, “He feels utterly betrayed by what Harry wrote about him in the book and said about him on Netflix.”
“They were very close growing up so it has been very painful for William.” But, ultimately, what can he do?”
