Lucy’s daughter was named after the Game of Thrones character Khaleesi.
Lucy’s daughter was named after the Game of Thrones character Khaleesi.
This article was one of Herald Travel’s top stories of 2024.
A British mother was “absolutely devastated” and frustrated after her daughter was denied a passport because she was named after a popular Game of Thrones character.
Swindon mum Lucy was applying to get her 6-year-old daughter, Khaleesi,a passport. But she was shocked when she received a rejection letter over the name.
Officials told Lucy before the passport could be approved, she would need a letter of approval from Warner Bros., the creators of Game of Thrones, because they own the name’s trademark.
“I was absolutely devastated, we were so looking forward to our first holiday together,” Lucy told the BBC.
The family had been planning and saving up for their dream holiday to Disneyland Paris, but the rejection letter explaining the trademark issues with Warner Bros. shattered those dreams.
“It was the first I’ve heard of such a thing — I was astonished,” she told the BBC.
“If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then?”
With fears it could affect her daughter’s future travel, the family sought legal advice over the passport rejection.
They found while there is a trademark for Game of Thrones, it does not apply to a person’s name.
Lucy named her daughter Khaleesi after a Game of Thrones character. Photo / Supplied
The family then sent that information back to the Passport Office to clear up the issue.
The Passport Office has since apologised to Lucy and her family, labelling the rejection a “mistake” and claimed there was a misunderstanding between guidance staff.
A Home Office spokesperson released a statement to the BBC: “We can confirm the application is being processed and apologise to the family for the delay.”
The family are now planning to make the trip across to France at a later date so Khaleesi can turn her dream holiday into reality.
Lucy hopes speaking out about her daughter’s situation might help others who are struggling to get passports approved for children with unique names.
This story was originally published in New Zealand Herald Travel on August 9, 2024.
