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You are here: Greenwich / News / Exclusive: Spelling blunder sees borough wrongly named as Royal GREEENWICH

Exclusive: Spelling blunder sees borough wrongly named as Royal GREEENWICH

April 1, 2012 By Rob Powell

A howling spelling mistake on the borough’s Royal Charter has only just been spotted – and it has big consequences for Greenwich.

Due to an error in the production of the document, the new name for the borough was actually declared as “Royal Greeenwich” – with three Es.

The glaring error somehow went unnoticed while the borough celebrated its royal honour in February of this year and Her Majesty’s royal seal makes the change permanent and binding.

This website understands a crisis meeting was called after the blunder was first noticed by an 8 year old child who spotted it whilst admiring the document in its glass case at Woolwich Town Hall.

Because of the Queen’s heavy schedule in her jubilee year, there is no chance of asking for her consent to change the name again before 2013, meaning the borough will have to see out the rest of the year at least under the name Royal Greeenwich.

With no choice but to accept the accidental name in the short term, the council is in the unenviable position of having to order new street signs and staff uniforms, again, bearing the name Royal Greeenwich. If the name can’t be changed, the cost to businesses could run into the millions of pounds.

A constitutional expert told this website that the incident was “deeply embarrassing” for the Palace and the council but “we are where we are, and it would be seen as hugely disrespectful to Her Majesty to ask for a change of name back to Greenwich.”

He added, “Spelling mistakes in digital documents are commonly known as ‘typos’. This faux pas in the charter is one of the most embarrasing examples of a quillo that anyone can remember.”

In recognition of the name, this website is today changing its name to Greeenwich.co.uk.

Update April 1st midday –

Yes, don’t worry, Royal Greenwich is still Royal Greenwich with two Es. We did catch a couple of you out but as many in the comments noted – but were held in a moderation queue until now – this was a little bit of April Fools’ fun. Here’s the real Royal Charter below with not a single extra E in sight.

Filed Under: News

Comments

  1. Dazza says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:30 am

    ‘Out of the mouth of babes’ as the saying goes.
    I’m reminded of the ‘Emperors new Clothes’ as well, can’t think why!!!!

  2. Chris says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:36 am

    Mrs Mangle packed the wrong glasses that day. We need less E’s on the streets of Greenwich, not MORE. Heavens.

  3. Lara says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:48 am

    Hehehe. Just got it, good work!

  4. Mary says

    April 1, 2012 at 12:57 am

    Oh very clever! Ha ha. Almost as good as the spaghetti tree.

  5. Barbara says

    April 1, 2012 at 6:06 am

    Happy April Fools Day!

  6. Geoff Neilly says

    April 1, 2012 at 9:03 am

    What’s the date today? Ha ha

  7. Jack Cross says

    April 1, 2012 at 9:39 am

    What’s today’s date?

  8. Fatty Fatty BumBum says

    April 1, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Nice one – happy April Fools Day!

  9. Bea says

    April 1, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Has anyone else got the fact that it’s April fools day!!!!!!!!

  10. Bea says

    April 1, 2012 at 10:50 am

    It’s April fools day clearly we are the fools

  11. Stewart says

    April 1, 2012 at 10:52 am

    Very good. You almost had me.

  12. Paul says

    April 1, 2012 at 10:54 am

    I see what you did there……!

  13. Rosie says

    April 1, 2012 at 10:58 am

    I agree

  14. Pedro says

    April 1, 2012 at 11:34 am

    A staggering mistake. I blame the teechers!

  15. Chris says

    April 1, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    Yes – this was my Harold Bishop impression. I was fooled for about 30 seconds though, and wondering how old Queenie ever got through school…

  16. shezara says

    April 1, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    lol that was a goood one. i actually believed it because i checked when it was posted and it was the 31st of march, so i thought it couldnt be a fools. so technically, it was just a lie 😛

  17. Bob Redhead says

    April 1, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    Sadly Greenwich Council are probably inept enough not to spot that mistake if it really happened. Very good though, made me laugh. I had visions of Council Officers running around like Pantomime Dames on the instructions of the Dear Leader

  18. Rob Powell says

    April 2, 2012 at 10:20 am

    Oh, just found this: someone at the BBC made the typo once.

    Christmas 1940 in Greeenwich
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/17/a4076417.shtml

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