The name of the rose

THERE is a long history of naming things after monarchs. The present Queen, who has been unfailingly in post since before even I was born, is thus blessed with an inordinately long list of ships, buildings, mountain ranges, islands, horse races, railway engines, national parks and, of course, plants bearing her name (page 194). It must be difficult to look equally pleased at each of these offerings, but you can be sure that friendly politeness will never have failed on such an occasion.

In case it springs to your mind to add to this list, you should know that you can’t simply stick Her Majesty’s name on something and be done. There is, as one would expect, an established procedure by