Plea to rename Eton Avenue after Royal couple was rejected

Published: 30th June, 2011
by RICHARD OSLEY

THE Town Hall blocked an attempt to rename a Camden street after Prince William and his new wife during the excitement over the ­Royal Wedding.

Officials feared the request could lead to a backlash from repub­licans, including those who held an anti-monarchy party in Red Lion Square on the couple’s big day last month.

It was suggested that if the council allowed part of Eton Avenue in Swiss Cottage to be renamed “Kate and Wills”, they would have to brace themselves for applications to rename streets with titles such as  “Republic Square'” and “Oliver Cromwell Way”.

The discussions have been revealed in a chain of emails released by the council under the Freedom of Information Act. The council was asked to unlock all of its files connected with the Royal Wedding and how it dealt with the Not The Royal Wedding Party in Red Lion Square.

The euphoria of the street party in Swiss Cottage led to the enquiry for a new name plate for the market area in Eton Avenue.

“We have an unusual query regarding naming an area after the forthcoming Royal wedding party,” an official in the environment department wrote in an email to colleagues. “I spoke to XXXX who wanted to name an area of land ‘Kate & Wills’. I have found that the area of land as he called it was actually the end of Eton Avenue. It is the gravel area where the weekly market is held.”

But a senior Town Hall employee warned against raising expectations and, in another email which did the rounds at the council, he said: “It’s not in my opinion acceptable and we need to manage expectation straight away. 

“To change the name would be too problem­atic, particularly referring to the organisations present at this location. I assume the name change would involved a costly consultation process and bearing in mind the recent problems with the Not the Royal Wedding Party we would no doubt have applications like Republic Square or ­Oliver Cromwell Way.”

Officials also worried that changing the name of the area would lead to problems for local ­theatres which would have to “rebrand themselves with the new address”.

The emails suggest Camden has not received applications for changing existing streets in recent years. Previously un­christened streets in West Hampstead were given official names two years ago – including a path known as Billy Fury Way. But on the Royal request, Camden feared regal names in the borough such as Queen’s Crescent, King Henry’s Road and Queen’s Square could be targeted by anti-monarchists.

The messages were uncovered by serial FoI requester Steve Elibank, who posts his queries through the public What Do They Know website.

They also show how Camden was warned by businesses over the prospect of campaign group Republic being allowed to stage its party at its first choice location of Earlham Street, Covent Garden. 

Letters show that the council was advised that shops would close and the Town Hall might be liable for lost earnings.