Search results
Some may refuse an honour based on political reasons, relating to the British state or the Royal Family.
Dec 22, 2018 · Harold Wilson's resignation honours list of 1976 was almost universally condemned by politicians, civil servants, and the press because it contained a number of high honours to individuals who were seen as scandalously lacking in merit.
- Tobias Harper
- 2018
Wilson's suspicions were later partially corroborated by former MI5 Assistant Director Peter Wright in his book Spycatcher, a book that was initially banned from publication in the UK.
- David Bowie. The singer and songwriter turned down honours twice. The first refection came in 2000 when he was offered a CBE and the second, in 2003, when offered a knighthood.
- Stephen Hawking. Stephen Hawking turned down a knighthood in the late 1990s, a fact he did not reveal until 2008. The reasoning is not entirely clear, but according to a spokesman: “Prof Hawking does not like titles.
- Jon Snow. Legendary broadcaster Jon Snow made a name for himself as a hard-hitting journalist with a decades-long career but when he was offered an OBE, he rejected it.
- John Lennon. The Beatle who was a renowned social activist returned his MBE in 1969 in protest at Britain’s foreign policy. “Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts,” he said.
Nov 3, 2022 · Why Harold Wilson Was One of Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Prime Ministers. The Labour PM had a relaxed relationship with the British monarch and a top secret MI5 file against him. By Lauren...
Southern Rhodesia was not granted independence, principally because Wilson refused to grant independence to the white minority government headed by Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith which was not willing to extend unqualified voting rights to the native African population.
Sep 16, 2024 · In 1965 Wilson was unable to avert an illegal declaration of independence by the white minority government of the British colony of Rhodesia, and his subsequent efforts to topple the rebel government by the use of economic sanctions rather than by military force failed.
