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Rugby man thought his new passport was fake because it still says ‘Her Majesty’
A man is furious his new passport still says Queen Elizabeth is head of state – which is a “disgusting total insult to her memory and the King”. Ian Thompsett, 45, paid £88 to renew his passport earlier this month and was excited when it was delivered in just two weeks.
But his joy soon turned to disappointment when he opened the first page to see it refer to “Her Britannic Majesty” and “Her Majesty” instead of “His Majesty” – which he believes “disrespects” Charles’ ascension to the throne.
The father-of-three – who says he is not an ardent royalist – was so shocked by the “lax” outdated language he thought he might have been tricked into buying a fake.
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He has now called on the government to update all passports to ensure “the King’s reign is respected”.
Ian, a DJ from Rugby, Warkwickshire, said: “It was my intention to go to Amsterdam in the Netherlands in July to see Coldplay.
“I looked at my passport and it had run out so I did a renewal application online a fortnight ago. I was told it could be 10 weeks but they did it in two so the service was great.
“I opened it up yesterday and on the very first page it gives the declaration and I read it and just couldn’t believe a brand-new £88 renewal passport still states it is Her Majesty’s passport even after all this time.
Pictures as King Charles on procession to Westminster Abbey for coronation
“The King was crowned in May but the very first page refers to the Queen. There is nothing about the King at all and it really upset me. My first thought was ‘have I been diddled?’.
“I wondered whether it was fraud. You just don’t expect that the government would be so lax that something with the Crown’s stamp would be out of date. The King’s coronation should be reflected.
“It is disgusting and a total insult to her memory and to our King’s position as head of state. It’s been a long time since her passing – surely they’ve had time to change a statement in what is a very expensive process. But more importantly it’s a British document that quite clearly isn’t correct.
“I understand that stamps and currency in circulation take time to change but the passport should have been updated from the day of Charles’ coronation. Every passport should show him respect as the King. Everybody that is alive today in the UK and the Commonwealth knows the Queen.
“I vividly remember meeting the Queen in 1993 when I was an army cadet in what was then the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters. I was lucky enough to be a standard bearer for a visit she made to a memorial in Crook, Derbyshire. She was very, very nice and I was very, very proud to have met her.
“She was a huge part of our lives and deserves to be remembered and celebrated. It is equally important for Charles as the King to be respected in the same way. He is now our King whether people agree with his past or not. We should respect that and the Passport Office should follow suit.”
The Home Office, which oversees the Passport Office, declined to comment.
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