French airport to be renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II

A French seaside resort is renaming its airport after Queen Elizabeth II, following King Charles's blessing.

Le Touquet received the official nod of support from the King on Monday.

“The international airport of Le Touquet Paris-Plage is about to undergo a historic transformation by taking on the name ‘Elizabeth II International Airport of Le Touquet Paris-Plage’,” the town hall said in a statement.

“This is a tribute to a great Queen and her uncle who had a fondness for France, as well as a recognition of the ‘most British of French resorts’," it added.

An inauguration date is yet to be set, but authorities are understood to have requested the name change just days after the Queen died on September 8 last year, aged 96.

The airport was originally designed in the 1930s but during the 1950s it fostered strong links with Britain.

According to town officials, the Queen's uncle Edward VIII would travel to the resort to enjoy horseback riding and sand yachting - occasionally bringing his niece with him.

Le Touquet is about an hour’s drive south of Calais and is a popular resort where the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife, Brigitte, have a home.

Recently dubbed "Twickenham-on-Sea", the resort will be hosting the England team during the Rugby World Cup later this year.

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