The Loch Ness Monster could have been named after Queen Elizabeth if it was ever found, amazing new documents reveal.
A proposal to get Nessie named after Her Majesty was sent to Buckingham Palace back in the 1960s when a scientist discovered the queen was fascinated in the legend. Recently discovered papers show that Sir Peter Scott, the first person to launch an investigation into the existence of the mythical Scottish Highlands creature, asked the Queen if she would agree to have the monster named Elizabeth nessiae if it was ever eventually found.
His request came after he found out Her Royal Highness was “very interested” in the existence of the prehistoric animal, the Independent reports.
Martin Charteris, the Queen’s then private secretary, said in a reply to Sir Peter’s letter that there would have to be “absolutely irrefutable evidence” of its existence before it was named after the monarch.
He said, “It would be most regrettable to connect Her Majesty in any way with something, which ultimately turned out to be a hoax. Even if the animal does prove to exist I am not at all sure that it will be generally very appropriate to name it after Her Majesty since it has for so many years been known as ‘The Monster’.” But the documents, which were discovered in the scientist’s archive at Cambridge University, showed the Queen was “very interested” by Sir Peter’s request and even asked to be sent personal updates.
Charteris said it would be “great day in the zoological world if it can be proved that a hitherto unknown animal exists”.
He told Sir Peter, who went on to set up the World Wide Fund for Nature, that “Her Majesty has seen your letter and was very interested in it contents.”