List of people who have declined a British honour

The following is a partial list of people who have declined a British honour, such as a knighthood or an honour usually within the Order of the British Empire. In most cases, the honour was rejected privately; others were rejected publicly, or accepted then returned later, as with John Lennon and Rabindranath Tagore (although the honour itself, once accepted, cannot be unilaterally renounced by its recipient).

Nowadays potential recipients are contacted by Downing Street to confirm in writing whether or not they wish to be put forward for an honour well before any public announcement is made. Therefore those who now decline an honour when it is announced have already indicated acceptance beforehand.

Some potential recipients have rejected one honour then accepted another one (such as Sir Alfred Hitchcock), or have initially refused an honour then accepted it, or have accepted one honour then declined another (such as Vanessa Redgrave), or refused in the hopes of another - (Roald Dahl was offered an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, but refused because he wanted a knighthood so that his wife would be Lady Dahl). This often has as much to do with the political party in power as anything else, since honours can be construed as being political rewards.

Sometimes a potential recipient will refuse a knighthood or peerage, but will accept an honour that does not carry a title, such as the Order of Merit (OM) or Companion of Honour (CH) (Paul Scofield, Doris Lessing, Harold Pinter, David Hockney, Florence Nightingale, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Augustus John are famous examples).

Many modern examples were identified in December 2003 when a confidential document containing over 300 names of such people was leaked to The Sunday Times.

Honours declined

Dukedom

• Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, statesman and Prime Minister (in 1880; had previously accepted the Earldom of Beaconsfield)
• Sir Winston Churchill, statesman and Prime Minister (in order to remain in the House of Commons and to allow his son a political career)
• Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, Viceroy of India (in the 1890s, as did not want to keep up the lifestyle expected of a duke)
• Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, statesman and Prime Minister (in 1886 and 1892)

Marquessate

• Isaac Wallop, 5th Earl of Portsmouth (later declined appointment as KG)
• John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland (in the 1890s)
• Sir Alexander Cambridge, formerly Prince Alexander of Teck (in 1917, accepted the Earldom of Athlone)
• Henry Lascelles, 5th Earl of Harewood (in 1922, as thought marquessates died out more quickly than earldoms)

Earldom

• Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (declined the Earldom of Wiltshire on his death bed in 1596)
• Henry Addington, outgoing Prime Minister (declined the Earldom of Banbury in 1804 as wished to remain in the Commons; later accepted the Viscountcy of Sidmouth)
• Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, statesman (in 1809)
• William Gladstone, Prime Minister (in 1885)
• Harold Macmillan, statesman and Prime Minister (in 1963; later accepted the Earldom of Stockton in 1984)
• Angus Ogilvy (in 1963 on his marriage to Princess Alexandra of Kent)

Viscountcy

• Benjamin Disraeli, outgoing Prime Minister (in 1868; the title was instead conferred on his wife)
• Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, First World War commander (later accepted the Earldom of Haig)
• John Henry Whitley, retiring Speaker of the House of Commons (in 1928)

Hereditary Barony

• Lord Louis Mountbatten (in 1946, as thought was too low; accepted the Viscountcy of Mountbatten of Burma instead; later accepted the Earldom of Mountbatten of Burma)

Life Barony

• Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM, philosopher (in 1980)
• John Major, outgoing Prime Minister (as he thought a seat in the Lords was incompatible with retiring from politics; later accepted appointment as KG)
• Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (in 1999)
• Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (in 1999)
• Prince Andrew, Duke of York (in 1999)
• Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (in 1999)

Knighthood

• Frank Auerbach, artist (in 2003)
• Sir Edmund Barton, first Prime Minister of Australia; he refused knighthoods in 1887, 1891 and 1899, but agreed to be made a GCMG in 1902
• Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International
• Alan Bennett, playwright (in 1996; had previously declined appointment as CBE in 1988)
• David Bowie, musician (in 2003; had previously declined appointment as CBE in 2000)
• Benjamin Britten, composer (later accepted appointment as CH and OM and a life barony)
• Joseph Conrad, author
• Hugh Cudlipp, OBE, editor (in 1966; later accepted a knighthood in 1973 and a life peerage in 1974)
• The Revd Hugh Bruce Cunningham, minister (in 1700s)
• Michael Faraday, chemist and physicist
• Albert Finney, actor (in 2000, had previously declined appointment as CBE in 1980)
• E. M. Forster, author and essayist (in 1949; later accepted appointment as CH in 1953)
• Michael Frayn, dramatist (in 2003; had previously declined appointment as CBE in 1989)
• John Galsworthy, novelist (later accepted appointment as OM)
• Thomas Hardy, novelist/poet (later accepted appointment as OM)
• Stephen Hawking, physicist
• David Hockney, artist (in 1990; later accepted appointment as CH in 1997)
• Trevor Howard, actor
• Aldous Huxley, author (in 1959)
• Augustus John, artist (on a number of occasions, probably at the urging of his wife; later accepted appointment as OM)
• Rudyard Kipling, author and poet
• C. S. Lewis, author, Oxford professor (to avoid association with any political issues)
• L. S. Lowry, artist (in 1968; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1955 and CBE in 1961; later declined appointment as CH in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined)
• Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz musician and broadcaster (in 1995)
• Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum (in 1999)
• Alexander Mackenzie, second Prime Minister of Canada (as he thought it an affront to his Scottish heritage)
• Dan McKenzie, earth scientist (later accepted appointment as CH in 2003)
• Robert Morley, CBE, actor and playwright
• William Martin Murphy, industrialist, MP (in 1906)
• Gilbert Murray, classical scholar and public intellectual (in 1912)
• Harold Pinter, playwright (later accepted appointment as CH)
• Anthony Powell, writer (later accepted appointment as CH)
• Richard Redgrave, artist (in 1869)
• John Singer Sargent, US painter (declined an honorary knighthood)
• Don Stephen Senanayake, first Prime Minister of Ceylon
• Paul Scofield, CH, CBE, actor (on several occasions)
• Alastair Sim, CBE, actor
• Ralph Vaughan Williams, composer (later accepted appointment as OM)
• Bill Woodfull, cricketer (in 1934 (for services to cricket); later accepted appointment as OBE in 1963 (for services to education))
• W. B. Yeats, Anglo-Irish poet (in 1915)

Appointment as a Companion of Honour (CH)

• Francis Bacon, artist (in 1977; had previously declined appointment as CBE in 1960)
• Robert Graves, poet and novelist (in 1984; had previously declined appointment as CBE in 1957)
• L. S. Lowry, artist (in 1972 and 1976; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1955 and CBE in 1961 and a knighthood in 1968; holds the record for the most honours declined)

Appointment to the Order of the Bath

As a Knight Commander (KCB)

• T. E. Lawrence, CB, DSO, World War I soldier, diplomat, and author, best known as Lawrence of Arabia

Appointment to the Royal Victorian Order

As a Commander (CVO)

• Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan (had previously declined appointment as LVO and OBE)

As a Lieutenant (LVO)

• Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan (later declined appointment as OBE and CVO)

Appointment to the Order of the British Empire

As a Dame Commander (DBE)

• The Lady Callaghan of Cardiff, campaigner and fundraiser
• Doris Lessing, author (in 1993; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1977; later accepted appointment as CH in 2000)
• Geraldine McEwan, actress (in 2002; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1986)
• Vanessa Redgrave, CBE, actress (in 1999)

As a Commander (CBE)

• Francis Bacon, artist (in 1960; later declined appointment as CH in 1977)
• J. G. Ballard, author (in 2003)
• Nancy Banks-Smith, television critic (in 1970)
• Alan Bennett, playwright (in 1988; later declined a knighthood in 1996)
• Honor Blackman, actress (in 2002)
• David Bowie, musician (in 2000; later declined a knighthood in 2003)
• Sir Francis Boyd, journalist (in 1967; later accepted a knighthood in 1976)
• Kenneth Branagh, actor and director (in 1994)
• John Cleese, actor/comedian (in 1996)
• John Cole, journalist (in 1993)
• Bernie Ecclestone, owner of Formula One commercial rights (in 1996)
• Albert Finney, actor (in 1980; later declined a knighthood in 2000)
• Michael Frayn, dramatist (in 1989; later declined a knighthood in 2003)
• Lucian Freud, artist (in 1977; later accepted appointment as CH in 1983 and OM in 1993)
• Robert Graves, poet and novelist (in 1957; later declined appointment as CH in 1984)
• Wally Herbert, polar explorer (later accepted a knighthood)
• Sir Alfred Hitchcock, director (in 1962; later accepted appointment as KBE in 1980)
• John Le Carré, author
• L. S. Lowry, artist (in 1961; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1955; later declined a knighthood in 1968 and appointment as CH in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined)
• George Melly, musician, artist and raconteur (in 2001)
• Dame Helen Mirren, actress (in 1996; later accepted appointment as DBE in 2003)
• Sir V. S. Naipaul, author (in 1977; later accepted a knighthood in 1990)
• Keith Richards, guitarist (The Rolling Stones)
• Robert Simpson, composer
• Savenaca Siwatibau, Fijian academic
• Polly Toynbee, columnist (in 2000)
• Evelyn Waugh, novelist (in 1959)
• Paul Weller, musician (in 2007)

As an Officer (OBE)

• Peter Alliss, golfer and commentator (in 2002)
• Jim Broadbent, actor (in 2002)
• Roald Dahl, author (in 1986)
• Dawn French, comedienne (in 2001 together with Jennifer Saunders)
• Graham Greene, author (in 1956; later accepted appointment as CH in 1966 and OM in 1986)
• Hamish Henderson, poet and folklorist (in 1983 as protest against the Thatcher government's nuclear policies ^[1])
• Lenny Henry, comedian (later accepted appointment as CBE)
• Hattie Jacques, actress and comedienne (in the 1970s)
• Philip Larkin, poet (in 1968 on the grounds that he deserved a higher honour; later accepted appointment as CBE in 1975 and CH in 1985)
• Nigella Lawson, cookery writer
• Doris Lessing, author (in 1977; later declined appointment as DBE in 1993; later accepted appointment as CH in 2000)
• Ken Loach, director (in 1977)
• L. S. Lowry, artist (in 1955; later declined appointment as CBE in 1961, a knighthood in 1968 and appointment as CH in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined)
• Geraldine McEwan, actress (in 1986; later declined appointment as DBE in 2002)
• Hank Marvin, guitarist (The Shadows)
• Stanley Middleton, author, 1979
• Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan (had previously declined appointment as LVO; later declined appointment as CVO)
• V. M. Sabherwall, Birmingham industrialist
• Jennifer Saunders, comedienne (in 2001 together with Dawn French)
• Jon Snow, newscaster (having declined, investigated and presented a Channel 4 documentary, Secrets of the Honours System [2])
• Grace Williams, composer
• Michael Winner, director (in 2006, saying, "An OBE is what you get if you clean the toilets well at King's Cross station."^[3] )
• Benjamin Zephaniah, poet

As a Member (MBE)

• Derek Allhusen, Olympic equestrian gold-medallist in 1968
• Leonard Barden, British Chess Champion in 1954
• Shane Brewer, equestrian (in 1996)
• Joseph Corre, co-founder of Agent Provocateur (in 2007)
• Rachel Whiteread, artist (in 1997; later accepted appointment as CBE in 2006)
• Emer Rose Crangle, aid worker (in 1999)
• Barry McGuigan, boxer (in 1986; later accepted same appointment in 1994)
• Joan Smith, journalist
• Pearl Witherington, Special Operations Executive agent (declined appointment intended to compensate when men who had performed the same heroic acts in same wartime Resistance roles were being awarded the Military Cross at the time; her recommendation had been turned down simply because of her sex, not lack of gallantry; the first female winner of the MC was Michelle Norris in 2006.)

Unknown honour

• Charles Babbage, scientist
• Charles Holden, architect
• A. E. Housman, poet
• Anish Kapoor, artist
• Richard Lambert, editor of the Financial Times
• A. E. W. Mason, novelist, who declared that honours meant nothing to a childless man
• J. B. Priestley, OM, playwright
• Claire Tomalin, journalist and biographer

In fiction

According to the text of The Adventure of the Three Garridebs, the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was offered a knighthood and refused it.

In Ian Fleming's last James Bond novel, "The Man With the Golden Gun", Bond refuses appointment as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG).

In Kim Newman's Diogenes Club story "Clubland Heroes", the club's senior agents, Charles Beauregard and Edwin Winthrop are described as having declined knighthoods to prevent publicising the "secret wars" they fought in.

In P.G. Wodehouse's novella "Bertie Wooster Sees It Through", Mr L. G. Trotter refuses a knighthood because "he shrinks, no doubt, from the prospect of being addressed for the remainder of his life as Sir Lemuel."

In the British comedy "As Time Goes By", Jean (Judi Dench)'s brother in law Steven accidentally refuses appointment as OBE because he ticked the decline box on his acceptance forms.

Renouncing an honour

As no official provision exists for renouncing an honour, any such act is always unofficial, and the record of the appointment in The London Gazette stands. However, the physical insignia can be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood — though even this act is purely symbolic, as replacement insignia may be purchased for a nominal sum. Any recipient can also request that the honour not be used officially, e.g. Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, was knighted in 1997 but has not used the title since the handover to China.

Those who have returned insignia include:

• Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, journalist (returned MBE insignia in 2003)
• Roy Bailey, folk singer (returned MBE insignia in August 2006 in protest at the British Government's foreign policy in Lebanon and Palestine)
• John Lennon, musician (returned MBE insignia in 1969 "in protest against Britain's involvement in the Biafran (Nigerian Civil) War, and its support of America in Vietnam")
• Carla Lane, television writer (appointed OBE in 1989; returned insignia in 2002 in protest at the appointment of the managing director of Huntingdon Life Sciences as CBE because of the company's testing on animals)
• Susan Wighton, AIDS worker (returned MBE insignia in 2006 in protest at the British Government's foreign policy in the Middle East)

Knights who have "renounced" their knighthoods include:

• Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, cricketer (knighted in 1936; renounced knighthood in 1947 on India's independence)
• Rabindranath Tagore, author and poet (knighted in 1915; renounced knighthood in 1919 to protest the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre)

Declining a baronetcy

When a baronetcy becomes vacant on the death of a holder, the heir may choose not to register the proofs of succession, effectively declining the honour. The Official Roll of Baronets is kept at the Home Office by the Registrar of the Baronetage. Anyone who considers that he is entitled to be entered on the Roll may petition the Crown through the Home Secretary. Anyone succeeding to a baronetcy therefore must exhibit proofs of succession to the Home Secretary. A person who is not entered on the Roll will not be addressed or mentioned as a baronet or accorded precedence as a baronet. The baronetcy can be revived at any time on provision of acceptable proofs of succession, by, say, the son of a son who has declined to register the proofs of succession.

About 83 baronetcies are currently listed as awaiting proofs of succession. Notable "refuseniks" include Jonathon Porritt, lately of Friends of the Earth; Ferdinand Mount, the journalist; and Francis Dashwood, Premier Baronet of Great Britain, whose title was created in 1707.

Tam Dalyell, the left-wing former Labour MP and Father of the House of Commons, did provide proofs of succession to take his Scottish baronetcy, created in 1683, although he never uses his title.