Queen Elizabeth II could be given a new title to make her 'stand out' after calls first made this summer started to draw attention following the longest-serving monarch's death. A number of monarchs throughout history have taken on titles other than their name and regnal number - including Alfred the Great, Richard the Lionheart and Edward the Confessor.
Now Lord Farmer is calling on the Queen to be retitled Elizabeth the Faithful. The former Conservative party treasurer first put forward the late Queen's tribute name during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in order to make our longest-reigning monarch “stand out in the sweep of history”.
Now, speaking on GB News, despite initial dismissal, Lord Farmer claimed that the tribute is potentially "gaining traction" among supporters, following it being used in a recent interview with Tory MP Tom Tugendhat.
Asked how the initial proposal was received, Lord Farmer said: "Well, I made it at the time of the Jubilee, the Platinum Jubilee. I think [it] probably caught the Government by surprise.
"So, they didn't really have an answer to it."
He added: "In a way, we now have a new Government, I believe Tom Tugendhat, who is the Security Minister, mentioned the term 'Elizabeth the Faithful' in an interview the day before yesterday."
Lord Farmer added: "So, it may be gaining traction. Now after her death, is a time when we need to talk about it and to come to a decision."
Speaking in July, Lorder Farmer said Elizabeth the Faithful has 'useful ambiguity', as it’s directed both to God and country.
He asked the Government to bring in legislation so ‘Faithful’ could be added to the Queen’s title.
At the time, Labour peer Jenny McIntosh said: “Additions to the titles of our sovereigns have tended to be post hoc rather than during the lifetime of the person in question.”
Christian reform group the Church Society has already started using the term Elizabeth the Faithful. On their site they say: "The nation mourns the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. She often spoke of her faith in the Lord Jesus and of his teachings as her example and hope. May she be remembered as Elizabeth the Faithful."
