What's in a name? King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite denied British passport

The Briton formerly known as Mathew Whelan, a 34-year old Lib Dem activist from Birmingham, changed his name to King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite in 2009, according to Sara Malm's story posted Sunday on The Daily Mail. Malm writes that "Body Art" (that's the tattooed one's choice of diminutive for King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite) was able to procure a driver's license bearing his adopted appellation (one wonders whether the length of the driver's license had to be extended as an accommodation) but not a passport.

King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite's old passport had expired, you see, and when he went to renew it using his new name the office had a problem. When the Passport Office questioned the name, requesting further documentation, King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite sent in his driver's license, a registered letter that had been sent and delivered to him (one wonders if the name took up one line or two on the envelope), and a letter from his local MP.

Yes, King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite is being supported in his quest for a new passport bearing this name by his local Member of Parliament. (Several Monty Python sketches come to mind, don't they?)

But Body Art is quite serious about his quest; he insists that denying him his choice of name is a violation of his "human rights."

Malm's article says the Passport Office refused to comment specifically about why it has so far refused to grant a new passport in King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite's name. However, Malm quotes office policy as follows:

Where an applicant changes his or her name to a string of words or phrases that would not normally be recognised as a name, this should not be entered onto the personal details page of the passport.

For example, the names "New Year" "Happy Easter" or "Good Bye" are unacceptable as, when put together, they became a recognised phrase or saying.

I'm not certain how recognizable a phrase or saying "King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite" might be, but I can certainly understand that this string of words might not be normally recognized as a name.

Interestingly, King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite claims to be Britain's most tattooed person, with tattoos over 90% of his body. According to the Daily Mail, King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite even had his left eyeball tattooed black. Body Art has spent more than £25,000 on his extraordinarily personal art project. The reason he's looking for a new passport is that "he has been offered work abroad to turn his hobby into a job," according to the article.