Queen Camilla Could Get Airport Named After Her as Ex-MP Calls for Honour Over British Contribution

The prospect of a UK airport being named after Queen Camilla has been floated by former MP Sir Michael Ellis, who argued that her contribution to Britain deserves recognition. His suggestion came following an announcement that Nashville International Airport could be renamed in honour of country music icon Dolly Parton.

'Let's name an airport after Queen Camilla,' Ellis proposed in a column published on Monday, 31 August 2026, coincding with the 29th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. 'Just like Dolly Parton in America, her positive impact on Britain deserves recognition,' he wrote.

UK Airports Named After Individuals

It is rare in the UK to have airports bear the names of individuals. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is named after the legendary Beatles musician. The airport was originally called Speke Airport when it opened in 1933. During World War II, the Royal Air Force handled operations at the facility. In 2001, some 21 years after the death of beloved Liverpudlian Lennon, the airport was named after him. The airport handled more than 5.6 million passengers in 2025, making it one of the UK's busiest airports.

Meanwhile, in Belfast, the George Best Belfast City Airport is named after football player George Best. The airport served about 2.4 million passengers in 2025.

What's In a Name?

The name of the airport is part of its branding. For many, the place of the airport will suffice. For some, airports are 'statements of national pride,' said Mike Curtis, then co-founder and CEO of creative agency StartJG, which had worked on airport rebranding projects.

'The name of an airport is important and has great impact on the community it serves. As it is closely linked to the identity, culture and heritage of a city or a country, an airport is often named after a geographic area in its vicinity, a key landmark or an influential national leader,' Curtis said.

Some of the world's busiest airports are named after prominent figures including Indira Gandhi International Airport in India, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and John F. Kennedy International Airport in the US.

Ellis argued that Queen Camilla's role in supporting King Charles during his cancer treatment and amid the absence of his young grandchildren, likely referring to the children of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, demonstrated her importance.

He also pointed to Queen Elizabeth II's decision to make the then-Duchess of Cornwall a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter in 2022, arguing that it demonstrated the late monarch's support for Camilla.

Camilla and Dolly Parton Compared

Ellis drew parallels between the Queen's charitable activities and the late Dolly Parton's. Parton's Imagination Library provides enrolled children with a free book every month from birth until they turn five.

Similarly, Queen Camilla has launched The Queen's Christmas Present, an initiative through which every Year 6 child in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and every P6 child in Scotland, will receive a free copy of Katherine Rundell's Impossible Creatures this Christmas.

'So, in the varied cycle of news over one week in August, it is possible to draw wide-ranging links with Camilla and so much of what is happening in the world. Isn't that the best indication anyone could ask for of the positive impact the Queen has on the life of the nation?' Ellis wrote.