Paris subway station temporarily renamed ‘Elizabeth II’ to honor Queen’s funeral

The Paris transit authority, RATP, announced that one of its stations would bear the name of Queen Elizabeth II for the day of her funeral.

The George V Métro station, located on Line 1 beneath the Champs-Élysées, was renamed in tribute to the late Queen for the duration of the day.

In a statement on Twitter, the RATP group explained, 'We are paying tribute to the Queen of England by renaming George V station to Elizabeth II for the day,' alongside an image of a plaque displaying her name and the years of her birth and death.

The station was originally named after Queen Elizabeth II's grandfather, King George V, in his honor.

In response to a customer's inquiry, RATP explained, 'The renaming is temporary, and we are only changing one of the two plates to avoid causing confusion for our passengers.'

The tribute was made on the same day as the Queen's funeral, which was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Following the Queen's passing, the French presidential palace issued a statement honoring her, acknowledging her significant contribution to modern history and the Franco-British relationship.

The Élysée Palace stated, 'She held a unique place in France and in the hearts of the French people.'

The statement continued, 'The Queen adored France, and the feeling was reciprocated by the French people.'

Queen Elizabeth II holds the record for the most visits to the Élysée Palace by a foreign monarch. Throughout her six state visits to France, she met with all eight presidents of the French Fifth Republic, established in 1959, as noted in the statement.

Fluent in French, the Queen delivered several public speeches in the language during her visits to France.

'She who stood alongside the titans of the twentieth century in shaping history has now passed to join them,' the statement concluded.