These ten people did not all refuse knighthoods. The list includes reported refusals of knighthoods and other honours, as well as two cases in which an honour was accepted and later returned. The distinctions matter: the reasons range from objections to titles and empire to political protest and discomfort with the honours system.
What counts as refusing an honour?
Declining an offer is different from returning an honour after accepting it. The House of Commons Library explains that there is no official process for renouncing an accepted honour: returning its insignia is symbolic, and the appointment record remains in the London Gazette. Its briefing also notes that refusals are rarely public. The government publishes names on the Prime Minister’s honours list only after the person has been dead for at least ten years. Its published refusal list covers deceased people who refused honours between 1917 and 2006, so it is not a complete public record of every refusal. House of Commons Library briefing; Cabinet Office list of deceased people who refused honours.
Which celebrities declined or returned honours?
The accounts below are reported by Countryfile unless otherwise noted. The official sources available do not independently establish every offer, rank or personal explanation, so those details should be read with that attribution in mind. Countryfile’s list.
| Person | Honour and decision | Reported explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Sheen | Accepted an OBE in 2009; returned it in 2017. | Countryfile links his decision to research into Welsh history while preparing a lecture. |
| John Lennon | Accepted an MBE in 1965; returned it in 1969. | His reported letter protested British involvement in the Nigeria–Biafra conflict and UK support for the United States in Vietnam; it also mentioned “Cold Turkey” slipping down the charts. The Commons Library also describes his return in the context of protest over Nigeria–Biafra. |
| Howard Gayle | Reportedly declined an MBE nomination in 2016. | Countryfile associates the decision with his anti-racism campaigning and quotes him describing acceptance as “a betrayal.” |
| Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders | Reportedly declined OBEs in 2001. | Countryfile says Saunders later explained that they did not feel deserving of an honour alongside people recognised for charity work. |
| Benjamin Zephaniah | Reportedly declined an OBE in 2003. | Countryfile attributes his decision to opposition to empire, while noting his distinction between the institution and the Queen or royal family. |
| Stephen Hawking | Reportedly declined a knighthood in the 1990s. | Countryfile attributes the explanation to his spokesman, who said Hawking disliked titles and “the whole concept of them.” |
| C. S. Lewis | Reportedly declined a CBE in 1951. | Countryfile says he wanted to avoid association with political issues; the opened official sources do not independently confirm this account. |
| Danny Boyle | Countryfile reports that he was offered an honour in 2013; it does not specify the rank. | He reportedly felt accepting would be inappropriate given the many contributors to the London 2012 opening ceremony. |
| David Bowie | Reportedly turned down a CBE in 2000 and a knighthood in 2003. | Countryfile quotes him as saying, “it’s not what I spent my life working for.” An Information Commissioner’s Office decision notice confirms the refusals were widely reported and refers to a 2003 interview with The Sun, but does not independently verify that quotation. ICO decision notice. |
Why did they turn honours down?
Objections to titles and the honours system
Countryfile presents Stephen Hawking’s reported refusal as a rejection of titles themselves. For David Bowie, the reported explanation was that an honour was not what he had spent his life working for. These are personal explanations reported by the article, not statements established by an official honours record.
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Political and anti-imperial protest
John Lennon’s return of his MBE was an explicit political protest, according to the reported letter: he cited Nigeria–Biafra and Vietnam as well as the song’s chart position. Benjamin Zephaniah reportedly objected to empire. Howard Gayle’s reported refusal was associated with anti-racism campaigning.
Discomfort with accepting recognition
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders reportedly felt that an honour was not appropriate for them beside people honoured for charitable work. Danny Boyle’s reported concern was different: he considered an honour inappropriate when the 2012 ceremony had involved many contributors.
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A decision prompted by historical reflection
Countryfile connects Michael Sheen’s return of his OBE to his research into Welsh history for a lecture. The account concerns a return after acceptance, not a refusal of an offer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the headline needs a qualification
Only some entries are described as refusals of knighthoods; the list includes OBEs, an MBE, a CBE, an unspecified honour and honours returned after acceptance. It also combines different kinds of evidence: a parliamentary briefing provides context on Lennon’s return and the public record, while most individual explanations come from Countryfile’s reporting. The Cabinet Office’s refusal list has a defined scope and does not establish each celebrity account in this list.
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