The late Queen Elizabeth II's personalised MYT number plate, which long puzzled royal fans, was a private joke with Prince Philip, according to former royal butler Grant Harrold.
Harrold, who served as butler to the royals, said the letters were a tongue-in-cheek gift from Philip, referencing the Queen's official title. The plate, seen on her personal vehicle at Sandringham from the 1960s onwards, featured variations including MTY 1, MYT 2 and MYT 3.
A Gift Rooted in Royal Humour
Speaking to Regtransfers, Harrold said: "It's never been officially confirmed, but there were a couple of rumours about the origins of it. The first was that it was gifted to the Queen by her husband Prince Philip as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek joke."
The Queen's full official title was 'Most High, Most Mighty, and Most Excellent Monarch, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter'.
Harrold explained: "So the MYT plate is believed to take the 'Most Mighty' part of this. Prince Philip had an incredible sense of humour, and they had many private jokes in their marriage - so this is something I could see him doing. He would have found it hilarious to see the Queen driving around with it. I think the plate is a perfect insight into the private side of their marriage, filled with 'in-jokes' and a lot of fun."
Alternative Origin and Lasting Legacy
Harrold noted that some suggest the plate was actually a gift from the then Prince Charles to his mother, though he maintained the joke behind it remains unchanged. He said: "Regardless of who the gift was from, the message behind it is the same - and it shows a fun, lighthearted, behind-the-scenes version of the royals that we don't often get to see - which I think is really lovely."
The late monarch used the plates for decades, and they were even featured in her funeral, with vehicles bearing the plate driven behind the hearse.
