King Charles nixed Heathrow terminal renaming in his honor: sources

He’s putting a stop to any heir travel in his name.

King Charles has reportedly refused to have Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport renamed after him — a gesture that the airport intended to make in honor of his upcoming May 6 coronation.

The king allegedly “called in ministers,” members of the United Kingdom’s government, to politely reject the airport’s offer, according to the Times newspaper.

The Post reached out to reps for the royal family as well as Heathrow Airport for further comment.

A government source told the British outlet that Charles wasn’t keen on accepting the proposal due to “environmental considerations.”

But another palace insider alleged that he didn’t want to accept the recognition for a different reason, citing that the monarch did not have much of a connection to the airport itself.


candid shot of King Charles turned to speak to someone seated behind him
King Charles reportedly turned down an offer to have a terminal at Heathrow Airport named after him ahead of his coronation.
via REUTERS

In lieu of their original plan, the airport will now be making a measly “commemorative luggage tag” as a tribute to the king’s coronation.

According to the Times, Buckingham Palace has said that the king decided to reject the offer based on “government advice,” though it’s “understood” that the ministers were led by the king’s own desires. They also noted that it’s quite difficult to get the royal title on businesses and other operations.

However, his alleged environmental concerns may be legitimate: Over the past few decades, King Charles has indeed been outspoken about climate change and conservation.


travelers at Heathrow Airport
The airport wanted to name Terminal 5 after the king.
Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II at Heathrow Airport
The airport currently has Terminal 2 named after the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Getty Images

His attention to the environment dates back to his days as a young prince, demonstrated by a message he delivered to the kingdom’s countryside in 1970: “There is the growing menace of oil pollution at sea, which almost destroys beaches and certainly destroys tens of thousands of seabirds,” he said at a conference.

“There is chemical pollution discharged into rivers from factories and chemical plants, which clogs up the rivers with toxic substances and adds to the filth in the seas,” a 21-year-old Charles continued. “There is air pollution from smoke and fumes discharged by factories and from gases pumped out by endless cars and airplanes.” 

Since then, the king has continued to work with various environmental charities and organizations, including the Campaign for Wool Initiative, a group that works to help people understand the benefits of wool.

Charles isn’t the first distinguished royal of Heathrow. The airport’s Terminal 2 was dubbed the Queen’s Terminal in honor of Elizabeth II’s 88th birthday in 2014.

Meanwhile, the king is surely busy preparing to be officially crowned as England’s ruler in a coronation ceremony that is set for Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey.


Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles seated in a royal theater box
King Charles’ coronation is set for Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey.
Getty Images

It marks the official transfer of power to him after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The televised event promises star-studded performances from global artists, including Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Andrea Bocelli.

The coronation will also bring his son Prince Harry back to the United Kingdom for the first time since the January release of his bombshell tell-all memoir, “Spare,” in which he alleged that his older bro, Prince William, “physically attacked” him. Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, will not be in attendance.