Why Did Manny Pacquiao Name His Daughter Queen Elizabeth, in Recognition of Queen Elizabeth II?
Popular Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao stands out as one of the biggest admirers of Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at the age of 96, after a reign of seven decades, as reported by Marca.
As a result of this admiration, “Pac-Man” named his daughter Queen Elizabeth because of the impression Her Majesty made on the greatest boxer in Philippine history when the then World’s Best Pound-for-Pounder tried to meet her personally in 2009.
During the promotion for the fight between Pacquiao and Britain’s Ricky Hatton, the Filipino boxer visited Westminster Abbey and asked his promoters if it was possible to visit Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace for a private audience.
This meeting could not materialize, however, Pacquiao decided to pay tribute to her, as one of the most important figures of humanity in the 20th century.
When Pacquiao was questioned about the reason for naming his daughter Queen Elizabeth, he explained that it is a tribute to the Queen, because she is a very popular figure in the Philippines for all the gestures of friendship that Queen Elizabeth II had with the country.
But first, he sought the approval of the British Crown royalty to name his newborn daughter Queen Elizabeth.
“My daughter was christened ‘Queen Elizabeth’ as a tribute to her Queen. She is very popular in the Philippines and I like her very much. I would like to meet Queen Elizabeth II someday to show my people how far I have come,” said Manny Pacquiao.
Queen Elizabeth Pacquiao was born on December 30, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. She is currently preparing to make her debut as a child actress in the live action Pinocchio to be released by Disney in 2022.
The Day Manny Pacquiao Met the British Royal Family
Six years later, in 2015, Manny and his wife Jinkee again traveled to England to dine with Prince Harry (grandson of the Queen) at Buckingham Palace. The boxer presented him with autographed Cleto Reyes gloves and expressed his admiration for the Royal Family.
In fact, Manny was one of the thousands of people who expressed their condolences to the Queen on the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in April 2021.
