The Olympic Park will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the 2012 Games, as announced today by the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.

Combining two powerful associations, with one of the most exciting developments in London’s history, will mark the reopening of the Park in legacy as a new place for sport, culture, jobs and home.

The new name, which will come into effect when the Park reopens in 2013, follows permission from Her Majesty The Queen, the British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee. It builds on the Royal Family’s long association with, and support for, the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

Today’s announcement coincides with the roll out of the long-term plans, by the Olympic Park Legacy Company, to make the Park one of Europe’s premier destinations for residents and visitors.

Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said:

“It is a great honour that Her Majesty The Queen has given her consent to name the Park, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, after the Games. Her Majesty has been supportive of London 2012 from the start and with the event taking place in her Diamond Jubilee year, it is fitting that the Park bears her name.”

Lord Colin Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association, said:

“The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will deliver a lasting legacy from the 2012 Games and be a source of inspiration for generations of athletes to come. London is the only city to be honoured as host for the Olympic Games on three occasions and the name that has been selected for this iconic park is a wonderful tribute to the people of Great Britain and the importance of sport in our country.

“We appreciate the support of the International Olympic Committee and thank Her Majesty The Queen for creating a lasting connection between the Olympic Movement and the people of Great Britain.”

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said:

“I cannot think of a more fitting tribute than celebrating this significant anniversary and this historic moment for London by naming the site after Her Majesty. This will be the first time that an Olympic Park site or a Games will have both an Olympic and a royal long-term association, and brings with it fantastic benefits for local people, for East London and for the capital as a whole.”

The decision by the Legacy Company’s Board to recommend the name with the royal and Olympic association follows consultation with investors and developers, local boroughs and businesses and extensive market research conducted throughout the UK and across London.

Positive feedback for this combined name association was overwhelming and widely seen as an appropriate, appealing and attractive fit for the planned future of the Park.

Margaret Ford, Chair of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, said:

“The strength of the values, heritage and power of the royal and Olympic associations fit with our ambition for the Park. We are creating a new piece of London with family neighbourhoods, open space and events, inspired by the 2012 venues that surround them. It will bring together the best of London in one place and will be one of the United Kingdom’s premier visitor attractions.”