Queen Street was very nearly called Princes Street.
When the 1878 street naming committee met to discuss the proposed street names for the town they were a little disturbed to see that the main street through the town was to be called Princes Street, while the name of the monarch herself was to be applied to the eastern portion of what we now call Russell Street. They obviously felt it was a slight to her Britannic majesty to name a minor street after her so they reversed the names, and the main thoroughfare became Queen Street.
At the same time they rejected the proposed name for the western portion of Russell Street – Crown Street – choosing to name the street after James Russell (who was on the committee.)
The whole street became Russell Street in 1905. The eastern portion has sometimes been referred to, incorrectly, as Princess Street.
Pic: Queen Victoria had nine children, who married into many of Europe's royal families.