The six-year-old’s Game of Thrones-inspired name didn’t go down well with HM Passport Office
Don’t take heed of that TikTok trend where people encourage us to ‘normalise naming your kids after something you love’, or you could end up in the same predicament as this woman.
Brit mum Lucy, 39, just couldn’t resist giving her daughter the same moniker as her favourite Game of Thrones character, but it’s ended up massively biting her on the backside and derailing her ‘dream’ family holiday.
Lucy, from Swindon, explained that she was left ‘devastated’ after her six-year-old’s passport application was rejected due to her unique title.
She had spent months saving up to afford a £2,000 trip to Disneyland Paris with her daughter and had already excitedly planned out their itinerary.
But her grand plans went kerplunk when she received the news that HM Passport Office would not be providing any travel documentation for the youngster due to the red tape surrounding her Game of Thrones–inspired name.
If you didn’t know, the hit fantasy series was produced by HBO, which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros.
And unfortunately for Lucy, she was informed that the legendary movie studio had legally trademarked the name of the popular character which she gave to her little girl, Khaleesi.
As Game of Thrones viewers will know, actress Emilia Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen in the series and she was given the title Khaleesi, which means ‘queen’ – and the mum says she simply ‘loved the name’.
Thousands of parents took heed of the Dothraki language while naming their newborns following the show’s premiere in 2011, so Lucy’s child isn’t the only one walking round with the same name as the silver-haired fan-favourite.
“I call her Cally for short, but she always introduces herself as Khaleesi Holloway, Queen of Dragons,” Lucy said.
But so far, the mum seems to be the only parent struggling to get her kid a passport because of it.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “I was absolutely devastated, we were so looking forward to our first holiday together.
“It was the first I’ve heard of such a thing – I was astonished.”
Officials said they were unable to issue a passport unless Warner Brothers gave them permission, as the film studio owns the name’s trademark, prompting Lucy to seek legal advice after receiving the barmy response.
Lucy continued: “That information was sent to the Passport Office who said I would need a letter from Warner Brothers to confirm my daughter is able to use that name. I didn’t understand and felt frustrated.
Her solicitors later informed her that the Passport Office had got the wrong end of the stick, because the trademark only applies to goods and services, rather than a person’s name.
“If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then? I never thought you could trademark a name.”
The Passport Office has since apologised to the mum and claimed a ‘mistake’ had been made with Khaleesi’s application.
Staff were reportedly erroneously following guidelines which only apply when people are changing their names.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm the application is being processed and apologise to the family for the delay.”
