French airport changing name to honor Queen Elizabeth II

An airport in northwest France will soon be known as the Elizabeth II Le Touquet-Paris-Plage International Airport, in a tribute to the late English queen.

King Charles gave the approval on Monday for the airport to use his mother’s name, although there’s not yet a date for the name change to take effect in Le Touquet, BBC News reported.

Local officials said during a recent town hall meeting that the change would honor the “Great Queen” and would also recognize their intention to retain their strong connection to England.

The town had originally made the request to the British Crown in September 2022, shortly after the death of the Queen.

“That King Charles III accepted the proposal of the mayor of Le Touquet further reinforces the strategy of the latter who wants to affirm Le Touquet as ‘the most British of French resorts’,” Le Touquet officials said.

The airport was constructed in the 1930s for the purpose of welcoming British travelers to the costal city, BBC News reported. It now offers no commercial flight options and is used strictly for private jets.

It was previously the frequent destination of Queen Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII, who engaged in horse riding and sand yachting in the town.

In September, England’s rugby team will stay in Le Touquet as it prepares to play in the Rugby World Cup, taking place in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris.