A UK woman’s excitement for a long-awaited family holiday was crushed when her six-year-old daughter’s passport application was rejected due to her name, Khaleesi, inspired by the popular TV series Game of Thrones.
Lucy, 39, from Wiltshire, England, was left “devastated” after receiving a rejection letter from the UK Passport Office. Officials claimed they couldn’t issue a passport for Khaleesi unless Warner Brothers, the franchise owner, gave permission due to the name’s trademark status.
“I was absolutely devastated; we were so looking forward to our first holiday together,” Lucy told the BBC.The family had carefully planned and saved for a trip to Disneyland Paris, making the rejection a shocking setback.
After seeking legal advice, Lucy discovered that while Game of Thrones trademarks exist, they apply to goods and services, not personal names. Despite her solicitors communicating this to the passport office, Lucy was told that a letter from Warner Brothers was still necessary.
The situation escalated until media attention brought a resolution. Following public outcry and social media posts, the passport office reached out to Lucy to apologize, acknowledging their error. They clarified that the guidance staff had provided only applied to name changes, not birth names.
“He advised me that they should be able to process my daughter’s passport now,” Lucy stated, relieved but cautious. She believes that without the publicity, the issue might have remained unresolved.
The passport office has since committed to expediting Khaleesi’s application, and Lucy is cautiously optimistic about finally booking their Disneyland Paris trip.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed to the BBC, “We can confirm the application is being processed and apologize to the family for the delay.”
In the Game of Thrones series, “Khaleesi” is one of the titles given to Daenerys Targaryen, a lead character played by actor Emilia Clarke. The name means “queen” in the Dothraki language, a nomadic warrior tribe in the show. Daenerys earns this title after marrying Khal Drogo, a Dothraki warlord, and eventually leading them.
Lucy expressed her initial shock upon receiving the rejection letter. “I had a letter come through from the Passport Office, saying her name is trademarked by Warner Brothers,” she said. “It was the first I’d heard of such a thing — I was astonished.”
After receiving legal advice, Lucy learned her daughter was allowed to use that name and forwarded that information to the Passport Office. “I didn’t understand and felt frustrated. If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then?” she said. “I never thought you could trademark a name,” she added.
The Passport Office later called Lucy to apologize for the error. While officials said they’d now be able to process Khaleesi’s passport, Lucy believes the problem was only solved because she complained on social media. “If I hadn’t posted this on social media, nothing would have been done. I would have been stuck, not knowing what to do,” she said, adding that others had reached out saying they’d experienced something similar.
Lucy is now waiting for her daughter’s passport to arrive before booking a new trip to Disneyland Paris. “I am hoping the passport will be issued soon and was promised that they would call back in a few days to see if it had progressed,” she told the outlet.
She also hopes her story may help others in a similar situation. “I think there might be other people in this situation, that they may have had their passports declined recently because of something like this. Hopefully, they now know it can be resolved,” she said.
Lucy, 39, from Wiltshire, England, was left “devastated” after receiving a rejection letter from the UK Passport Office. Officials claimed they couldn’t issue a passport for Khaleesi unless Warner Brothers, the franchise owner, gave permission due to the name’s trademark status.
“I was absolutely devastated; we were so looking forward to our first holiday together,” Lucy told the BBC.The family had carefully planned and saved for a trip to Disneyland Paris, making the rejection a shocking setback.
After seeking legal advice, Lucy discovered that while Game of Thrones trademarks exist, they apply to goods and services, not personal names. Despite her solicitors communicating this to the passport office, Lucy was told that a letter from Warner Brothers was still necessary.
The situation escalated until media attention brought a resolution. Following public outcry and social media posts, the passport office reached out to Lucy to apologize, acknowledging their error. They clarified that the guidance staff had provided only applied to name changes, not birth names.
“He advised me that they should be able to process my daughter’s passport now,” Lucy stated, relieved but cautious. She believes that without the publicity, the issue might have remained unresolved.
The passport office has since committed to expediting Khaleesi’s application, and Lucy is cautiously optimistic about finally booking their Disneyland Paris trip.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed to the BBC, “We can confirm the application is being processed and apologize to the family for the delay.”
In the Game of Thrones series, “Khaleesi” is one of the titles given to Daenerys Targaryen, a lead character played by actor Emilia Clarke. The name means “queen” in the Dothraki language, a nomadic warrior tribe in the show. Daenerys earns this title after marrying Khal Drogo, a Dothraki warlord, and eventually leading them.
Lucy expressed her initial shock upon receiving the rejection letter. “I had a letter come through from the Passport Office, saying her name is trademarked by Warner Brothers,” she said. “It was the first I’d heard of such a thing — I was astonished.”
After receiving legal advice, Lucy learned her daughter was allowed to use that name and forwarded that information to the Passport Office. “I didn’t understand and felt frustrated. If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then?” she said. “I never thought you could trademark a name,” she added.
The Passport Office later called Lucy to apologize for the error. While officials said they’d now be able to process Khaleesi’s passport, Lucy believes the problem was only solved because she complained on social media. “If I hadn’t posted this on social media, nothing would have been done. I would have been stuck, not knowing what to do,” she said, adding that others had reached out saying they’d experienced something similar.
Lucy is now waiting for her daughter’s passport to arrive before booking a new trip to Disneyland Paris. “I am hoping the passport will be issued soon and was promised that they would call back in a few days to see if it had progressed,” she told the outlet.
She also hopes her story may help others in a similar situation. “I think there might be other people in this situation, that they may have had their passports declined recently because of something like this. Hopefully, they now know it can be resolved,” she said.