Kingdom • In 1657,
Oliver Cromwell, already Head of State and Head of Government as
Lord Protector, was offered the crown by Parliament as part of a revised constitutional settlement; he had been "instrumental" in abolishing the monarchy after the
English Civil War. Cromwell agonised for six weeks over the offer. In a speech on 13 April 1657, he gave his opinion that the office of monarch, once abolished, should stay so: "I would not seek to set up that which Providence hath destroyed and laid in the dust, and I would not build
Jericho again."
Dukedom • Sir
Winston Churchill,
Prime Minister, was twice offered a dukedom, once as Duke of Dover by
George VI and another as Duke of London by Queen
Elizabeth II, but declined both in order to remain in the
House of Commons and to allow his son
Randolph a political career. Randolph died only three years after his father, so the dukedom would have had little time to affect his career as he had already been out of the Commons for ten years. •
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, Prime Minister (1880); had already been created
Earl of Beaconsfield. •
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, Prime Minister (1868); citing his preference to continue being "the 14th
Earl of Derby". •
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne, statesman (1857). •
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister (1886, and 1892 and possibly in 1901) – citing the prohibitive cost of the lifestyle that dukes were expected to maintain. According to ''
Scribner's Magazine'' in 1900, "It is true that the Marquis of Salisbury might have been a Duke if he had not regarded his marquisate as a prouder title than a new dukedom could furnish." •
Prince Louis of Battenberg (1917) during the First World War, when he was forced to renounce his
German title of
prince. Offered a dukedom by George V, but declined as he could not afford the lavish lifestyle expected of a duke; accepted the
marquessate of Milford Haven instead. •
Maria Fitzherbert, mistress and wife (in a marriage never considered valid under English law) of
George IV; his brother
William IV, hearing her story after George's death, asked her to accept a dukedom but she refused, asking only permission to wear widow's weeds, and to dress her servants in royal livery.
Marquessate • Sir
Alexander Cambridge, formerly Prince Alexander of Teck (1917); accepted the
Earldom of Athlone instead. •
Henry Lascelles, 5th Earl of Harewood (1922); he reportedly held the belief that marquessates tended to die out more quickly than earldoms. •
John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer (1890s).
Earldom •
Henry Addington (on his retirement as Prime Minister declined the
Earldom of Banbury in 1804 as he wished to remain in the Commons; later accepted the
Viscountcy of Sidmouth). •
Leo Amery, politician (declined in 1945). • Sir
Henry Campbell-Bannerman (declined the Earldom of Belmont in 1905 when it was offered to him in a plot to elevate him to the House of Lords and make him an ineffective Prime Minister in the
Relugas Compact). •
Arthur Balfour, former prime minister (in 1919, accepted the
Earldom of Balfour in 1922). •
Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, politician (1963) •
R. A. Butler, politician (in 1964; accepted
life peerage as Baron Butler of Saffron Walden in 1965). •
Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon, declined the
Earldom of Wiltshire on his death bed in 1596. •
Neville Chamberlain (on his retirement as prime minister in 1940, also declined appointment as
KG). •
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, , politician (in 1809). • Sir
Anthony Eden (on his retirement as prime minister in 1957; later accepted the
Earldom of Avon in 1961). •
William Ewart Gladstone, prime minister (in 1885). •
William Legge, had also declined a knighthood; his son was created
Baron Dartmouth instead. •
Harold Macmillan (on his retirement as prime minister in 1963; later accepted the
Earldom of Stockton in 1984). •
Angus Ogilvy (in 1963, upon his marriage to
Princess Alexandra of Kent; later accepted a knighthood in 1988). •
Mark Phillips (in 1973, upon his marriage to
Princess Anne; accepted a
CVO in 1974). •
R. H. Tawney (twice declined an earldom, in 1920s and 1940s. Replied to
Ramsay MacDonald's offer by asking what harm he had ever done the
Labour Party, and to the offer from
Clement Attlee he averred that he was surprised that Labour was still interested in such baubles).
Viscountcy •
Charles Booth, disenchanted with politics, declined Gladstone's overtures; created a
Privy Counsellor by Balfour in 1904. •
John Grigg, 2nd Baron Altrincham, writer, historian and politician. •
Arthur Henderson, declined offer of peerage by Ramsay MacDonald in 1931. •
John Henry Whitley, retiring
Speaker of the House of Commons (in 1928).
Barony •
George Macaulay Booth, director of the
Bank of England; declined Lloyd George's offer. •
Samuel Courtauld, industrialist (1937) •
Leonard Knight Elmhirst, philanthropist; declined
Clement Attlee's offer in 1946, replying: "My own work, however, as you know, has lain in the main among country people ... in India, the USA and in Devonshire ... acceptance would neither be easy for me to explain nor easy for my friends to comprehend." • Sir
Thomas Holderness, retiring
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for India, refused in 1920 on financial grounds, although he accepted a baronetcy. •
Billy Hughes, prime minister of Australia; declined
David Lloyd George's offer in 1916. • Admiral Lord
Louis Mountbatten. Offered in 1945 for his services as Supreme Allied Commander,
South East Asia Command; declined as both Field Marshals
Harold Alexander and
Bernard Montgomery had accepted viscountcies. He received a viscountcy in the
1946 Birthday Honours, followed by an earldom for his service as the last
Viceroy of India in August 1947. • Sir
Alan Lascelles,
Private Secretary to the Sovereign; declined in 1953 as he felt titles to be a show of self-importance. •
T. P. O'Connor, journalist and Irish Nationalist MP 1880–1929, declined the offer from Lloyd George. •
Frank Pick, Chief Executive of
London Transport in the 1930s. •
Joseph Strutt, soldier and MP, declined all honours, but suggested the offer (of the barony of Rayleigh) be transferred to his wife instead, which was done.
Life peerage (barony) Former Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Life peerages are customarily offered to all former British prime ministers when they step down as a
Member of Parliament (MPs). The last former prime minister to accept a peerage was
Theresa May in 2024 after announcing her decision to step down from the
House of Commons at that year's general election. Prior to May, the last former prime minister to accept a peerage upon leaving the Commons was
Margaret Thatcher in 1992, and her husband,
Denis, was created a
baronet.
David Cameron did not accept a life peerage when he stepped down from the Commons in 2016, but when appointed Foreign Secretary in 2023 he accepted appointment in order to serve in that role. Three of her successors –
John Major,
Tony Blair and
Gordon Brown – declined a peerage, whilst
Rishi Sunak continues to serve as an MP.
Boris Johnson, who
resigned from the Commons, has not been offered a peerage, and nor has
Liz Truss, who lost re-election in
2024. • Sir
Edward Heath, in 2001. Remaining in the House of Commons for more than 25 years after his premiership, Heath personally disapproved of political honours while realising their usefulness as a source of political patronage. • Sir
John Major, in 2001. Major thought a seat in the
House of Lords was incompatible with retiring from politics; he later accepted appointment as
Knight Companion of the Garter. • Sir
Tony Blair, in 2007. Blair stated that the House of Lords was "not my sort of thing". In 1999, Blair's government had
significantly reduced the size of the House of Lords. Later, akin to Sir John Major, Blair accepted the Garter in the
2022 New Year Honours. •
Gordon Brown, in 2015. Brown declined on principle, being an advocate for an elected
upper house. Brown was made a Member of the
Order of the Companions of Honour in the
2024 Birthday Honours.
Others •
Isaiah Berlin, , philosopher (in 1980). •
Albert Booth, Labour MP and Cabinet Minister 1974-79 •
John Cleese, film and television actor, comedian (in 1999; stated that he "did not wish to spend winters in England" and being a peer would be "ridiculous", had previously declined appointment as
CBE in 1996). •
Constance Cummings, actress in 1975 •
Jean Floud, sociologist,
Nuffield College, Oxford. Principal of
Newnham College, Cambridge, declined a peerage (in 1978). •
Michael Foot, former Labour Party Leader. •
John Freeman, Labour MP, journalist, broadcaster, diplomat, and businessman. •
Jim (James) Griffiths Labour MP, first
Welsh secretary. •
Geoffrey Goodman, journalist. •
Ray Gunter Labour politician, President of
TSSA union; MP for Southwark; Cabinet minister 1964–70, declined offer in 1972, •
Joe Haines, Press Secretary Prime Minister Harold Wilson 1964-70 •
Margaret Herbison, Labour politician (in 1976) •
Jack Jones, trade union leader, on several occasions, as he advocated the abolition of the House of Lords. •
Bruce Millan, Labour MP;
Secretary of State for Scotland 1976-9; EU Commissioner. • Cardinal
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster (in 2009; reportedly on advice from the Holy See due to concerns that it would compromise the Church's impartiality and a prohibition in canon law on priests holding political office). •
Stan Newens, Labour MP for Harlow; declined a proposed peerage from Michael Foot in 1983. • Sir
Laurence Olivier, stage and film actor, inaugural Director of the
National Theatre; declined a peerage in 1967; he accepted a similar offer in 1970 •
Enoch Powell,
Conservative and
Ulster Unionist MP. •
J. B. Priestley, novelist and playwright (in 1965). •
Sir Joseph Robinson, 1st Baronet, a South African mining magnate, declined a peerage in 1922 after controversy arose regarding his nomination, which was given in exchange for political contributions. •
J. K. Rowling, author and philanthropist, declined offers of a peerage from both Labour and Conservative governments. •
Norman Willis,
General Secretary,
Trades Union Congress. •
George Woodcock, General Secretary TUC, accepted a CBE. •
Tony Woodley, former General Secretary of
Unite, initially turned down two offers of a peerage in 2018 and August 2020, before accepting in November 2020. As part of the 1999
House of Lords reform, members of the
Royal Family with first-creation peerages were offered
life peerages as a formality. While this would have granted them the right to sit in the House, it was widely expected they would decline; ultimately, all did so except for
Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. These included: •
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh •
Charles, Prince of Wales (later Charles III) •
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor •
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Baronetcy •
Charles Babbage, scientist, declined both a knighthood and baronetcy. •
Hall Caine, novelist and playwright (1917); accepted knighthood in 1918. •
George Peabody, philanthropist (1864); Queen Victoria sent an adoring letter of thanks, enclosing a miniature portrait of herself and offering him a baronetcy or knighthood; Peabody declined both titles. •
John Grubb Richardson, declined, citing his religious beliefs. •
Alfred Tennyson, poet (1865 and 1868); accepted peerage as
Baron Tennyson in 1884 on
William Ewart Gladstone's urging. Beyond these instances, many
baronetcies have been effectively declined. As a hereditary honour that the Crown historically used to raise funds from the landed gentry, a baronetcy may be left dormant if an heir chooses not to register the necessary proofs of succession upon the previous holder's death. However, the title can be revived at any time—for instance, by a grandson—provided the required documentation is produced. As of December 2017, approximately 208 baronetcies remain unproven and unclaimed.
Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter •
Neville Chamberlain was offered the
Garter shortly before his death in 1940, but felt too sick to accept. •
William Ewart Gladstone was offered the Garter upon leaving office at the end of his
first premiership in February 1874 but declined both the Garter and a peerage. •
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, declined the Garter around 1847 because he feared the expense of an investiture. His last years were plagued by largely imaginary money worries that surfaced after his stroke. •
Harold Macmillan declined the Garter in March 1964, as he felt it should only be conferred for service during a national crisis, privately remarking that acceptance would have given him "the substance without the shadow" (later appointed OM in 1976 and created
Earl of Stockton in 1984).
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) •
T. S. Ashton, economic historian, Professor of Economic History,
University of London (in 1957). •
Peter Benenson, founder of
Amnesty International; was offered several times, but refused on each occasion, citing
human rights abuses in which the British government was complicit. •
Alan Bennett, playwright (in 1996; had previously declined appointment as
CBE in 1988). •
Henry Benyon,
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, declined knighthood in 1956. •
Ernest Bevin, trade unionist and
Foreign Secretary, Labour government 1945 (in 1935) •
Danny Boyle, theatre and film director (in 2013). Later he stated that he believed "in being an equal citizen rather than a preferred subject" and that "that sort of thing just makes me vomit." •
Lester Brain, aviator and airline executive (in late 1960s; later accepted appointment as an Officer of the
Order of Australia in 1979). •
Alick Buchanan-Smith, Conservative MP in 1974 •
Frank Chapple, trade unionist in 1980, accepted a life peerage in 1985. •
Hugh Cudlipp, newspaper editor (1966). He accepted a life peerage in 1974. • Henry Rees Davies (in 1935). finally accepted an
Order of Merit in 1973 as it was not a title. •
George Doughty, trade union leader, in 1975 •
Bernie Ecclestone, businessman and
Formula One boss. He stated in a 2019 interview that while he was glad if he had done some good, this was not his main intention when setting out in business, so he did not feel he deserved an honour. •
Huw T. Edwards, Welsh trade unionist and Welsh Labour politician. Uncomfortable with honours, Edwards refused a knighthood on at least two occasions in subsequent years. He had previously accepted an MBE, later renouncing it. •
Lionel Elvin, educationalist and academic in 1964 •
Michael Faraday, scientist, who, for much of his life, eschewed worldly honours, turning down a knighthood and twice refusing to become president of the Royal Society. •
Harry Ferguson, businessman, engineer and inventor; twice offered and declined knighthood in the last ten years of his life; in response to a letter from
Winston Churchill offering to submit his name, Ferguson declined on the ground that knighthoods should be reserved for servicemen and statesmen, whose financial rewards were relatively small, and should not be given to businessmen or industrialists with financial wealth. •
Albert Finney, actor (in 2000; had previously declined CBE in 1980). •
Michael Frayn, novelist and dramatist; declined a knighthood in the
2003 New Year Honours and a CBE four years previously; Frayn stated: "I haven't done this for reasons of modesty. I like the name 'Michael Frayn'; it's a nice little name to run around with. I've spent 70 years getting used to it and I don't want to change it now." but accepted appointment to the
Order of Merit in 1929 as it was not a title. •
Graham Greene, novelist •
Lawrence Gowing, artists and academic in 1979 •
Calouste Gulbenkian, businessman and philanthropist (in 1951) •
John Winthrop Hackett, Australian newspaper owner (in 1902); turned down a knighthood after it was gazetted in 1902, but accepted it in 1911. •
J. S. Haldane, scientist and academic in 1926 •
Bill Hayden,
Governor-General of Australia. •
Patrick Heron, artist, declined a knighthood allegedly over the education policy of the government in the 1980s. •
Peter Higgs, , physicist, Professor of Theoretical Physics,
University of Edinburgh; co-discoverer of the
Higgs boson in 1999, because he felt honours are used for political purposes by the government. He later accepted appointment to the
Order of the Companions of Honour, because he was (wrongly) assured that it was the personal gift of the Queen, in 2013. •
Keith Hill, Labour
MP; declined knighthood in
2010 Dissolution Honours, stating: "My fundamental reason is that I have never had the least desire to have a title. I don't want to be discourteous, but I find the whole idea a little embarrassing and too much for me." •
David Hockney, , artist (in 1990; accepted appointment as CH in 1997, and OM in 2012 because they are not titles). •
Anthony Hurd, Conservative politician, in 1956, •
Marmaduke Hussey, declined knighthood in 1990 but accepted a life peerage in 1996 as Baron Hussey of North Bradley. •
Aldous Huxley, author (in 1959). Kipling also declined the
Order of Merit in 1921 and again in 1924. Kipling expressed his own view on the importance of titles and poetry in his poem "The Last Rhyme of True Thomas". •
T. E. Lawrence, Arabist, archaeologist, soldier;
George V offered Lawrence a knighthood on 30 October 1918 at a private audience in
Buckingham Palace for his services in the
Arab Revolt, but he declined. He was unwilling to accept the honour due to his anger over the
Sykes-Picot Agreement. •
Essington Lewis, Australian mining magnate. •
Edgar Lobel, Romanian-British classicist and papyrologist; (in 1955). •
L. S. Lowry, artist (in 1968; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1955 and CBE in 1961; later twice declined appointment as CH (1972, 1976); holds the record for the most honours declined). •
Kingsley Martin, journalist and successful editor of the
New Statesman reaching its highest circulation in the 1930s and 1940s. He declined the 'honour' in 1965 because he strongly disapproved of the honours system, certainly for journalists. •
John Loudon McAdam, Scottish road builder. •
Neil MacGregor, director of the
British Museum (in 1999); in 2010 he accepted appointment to the
Order of Merit, the personal gift of the British monarch. •
Max Perutz, scientist, Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1962 (in 1970) •
Frank Pick, chief executive of
London Transport (also declined a peerage). •
Harold Pinter, playwright •
John Piper, artist, declined a Kt in 1964. •
Anthony Powell, novelist, earlier accepted CBE and later the OM. •
William Poel, actor and Shakespearean director. Declined a knighthood twice. •
J. B. Priestley, playwright and novelist. •
J. Arthur Rank, businessman and film producer (
The Rank Organisation) in 1949 •
Frank Russell, judge (1919); on the grounds that as the son of a peer he outranked a knight bachelor. Accepted a law life peerage as Baron Russell of Killowen in 1929. •
Simon Sainsbury, businessman in 1992 •
Frederick Sanger scientist, Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1958 and 1980 •
B. A. Santamaria, Australian Catholic social campaigner. •
Amartya Sen, economist and Nobel Prize winner. •
George Bernard Shaw, playwright, critic, and socialist; also declined
OM. •
Paul Scofield, actor, declined offer three times: in 1968, 1974, and 1987. (in 1996). •
Wilson Steer, artist in 1930 •
A. J. P. Taylor, historian, probably due to anti-Establishment views, e.g. "The Establishment draws its recruits from outside as soon as they are ready to conform to its standards and become respectable. There is nothing more agreeable in life than to make peace with the Establishment – and nothing so corrupting." •
Ian Taylor, oil company executive. •
Ted Verity, editor
Daily Mail. •
Graham Wallas, social scientist (in 1930) •
Glanville Williams (in 1980), Welsh legal scholar. •
John Walpole Willis, colonial judge, barrister and author, refused a knighthood at least twice. •
John Henry Whitley, Liberal MP and Speaker of the House of Commons •
Norman Willis, general secretary of the
Trades Union Congress; "turned down a knighthood offered to him by
John Major, just as he had turned aside a proposal from the Labour leader
John Smith that he might consider going into the House of Lords". •
George Woodcock General Secretary TUC, in 1965 •
Bill Woodfull, Australian cricketer; turned down offer of a knighthood for services to cricket in 1934, but accepted OBE for services to education in 1963 which he saw as more important work than playing cricket. •
John Zachary Young, neurophysiologist
Appointment to the Order of the Bath As Knight Grand Cross (GCB) •
Thomas Carlyle in 1874
As Knight Companion (KB) •
Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in 1725; he later accepted the
Garter in 1730. •
Admiral George Cranfield Berkeley in 1812; hoping to be elevated to the
peerage, he then settled for KB in 1813, being promoted GCB in 1815.
Appointment to the Order of Merit (OM) •
W. H. Auden, poet. •
A. E. Housman, poet and classical scholar (in 1929). •
Rudyard Kipling. •
George Bernard Shaw, playwright, critic, and polemicist (in 1946; Shaw replied that "merit" in authorship could only be determined by the posthumous verdict of history). •
H. G. Wells, writer (
temp. George V).
Appointment to the Order of the Star of India As Knight Commander (KCSI) •
V. S. Srinivasa Sastri (in 1928; accepted appointment as Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 1930). •
V. P. Menon (in 1948; official reason for declining was that with Indian independence, he had entered the service of the new Indian government. According to his grandson, however, his actual reason for declining was that he could not accept a knighthood for having caused the partition of his country).
Appointment to the Order of St Michael and St George As Knight Grand Cross Commander (GCMG) •
Faimalaga Luka, Governor-General and Prime Minister of Tuvalu.
As Knight Commander (KCMG) •
Clive Baillieu, 1st Baron Baillieu, businessman (1944) •
Alfred Deakin, future prime minister of Australia (1887). •
Philip Fysh, Tasmanian politician (1891). Later accepted the knighthood in 1896. •
George Trefgarne, 1st Baron Trefgarne, politician (1951).
Appointment to the Royal Victorian Order As a Knight Commander (KCVO) •
Walter Hore-Ruthven, 10th Lord Ruthven of Freeland, General Officer Commanding
London District 1924–28, after his daughters (the
Ruthven Twins) were refused entry to the Royal Enclosure at
Ascot on account of their being actresses.
As a Commander (CVO) •
Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to
Uzbekistan (had previously declined appointments as
LVO and
OBE), in 1999, for reasons of Scottish nationalism and republicanism.
Appointment as a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) •
W. H. Auden, poet •
Francis Bacon, artist (in 1977; previously declined appointment as CBE in 1960). •
Robert Graves, poet and novelist (in 1984; had previously declined appointment as CBE in 1957). also declined a knighthood. •
J. B. Priestley, writer (in 1969) • Sir
Harry Shackleton (in the 1951 Birthday Honours List).
As a Knight Commander (KBE) •
T. E. Lawrence, Arabist, archaeologist, soldier, aircraftsman, writer (in October 1918). •
Calouste Gulbenkian, philanthropist (in
1951 New Year Honours). •
Ian Bronson Albery, theatre producer. •
David Bowie, musician (in 2000; •
John Carey, academic and literary critic. •
Robert Carvel, political journalist in 1982 •
Elwyn Davies, Welsh university and cultural administrator, civil servant, writer and academic. •
Alastair Dunnett, journalist and businessman (in 1979) •
Leon Kossoff, painter. •
Ken Livingstone, former
Mayor of London, due to be honoured for his services to the 2012 Olympics (turned down an honour in the
2013 New Year Honours due to his belief that politicians should not get such awards). •
L. S. Lowry, artist (in 1961; had previously declined appointment as OBE in 1955; declined a knighthood in 1968, and later appointment as CH in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined). •
Cedric Price, architect. •
Leon Radzinowicz criminologist in 1964, later accepted a knighthood in 1970. •
Karel Reisz, Czech-born film director. •
Tony Richardson, film and theatre director (in 1987). •
Alan Rickman, film and stage actor (in 2008). •
Andrew Robertson, Professor of Mechanical Engineering
University of Bristol (in 1965); reportedly disapproved of the honours system. •
Ronald Robinson, historian (in 1953) later Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, Oxford. •
Paul Rogers, stage and screen actor, mainly known for classical roles at the Old Vic and for Royal Shakespeare Co. •
Jo Shapcott, poet, initially accepted before changing her mind in response to the
invasion of Iraq (2003). •
Alan Sillitoe, novelist •
Robert Simpson, composer (in 1980). •
Savenaca Siwatibau,
Fijian academic. •
David Storey, playwright and novelist. •
Frank Swinnerton, novelist and critic (in 1969). •
William Jenkyn Thomas (in 1935). He later accepted a knighthood, in 2024. •
Stanley Baxter, actor and comedian •
Michael Bogdanov, theatre director. •
Jim Broadbent, actor (in 2002). •
Peter Capaldi, actor, director and writer (possibly). •
Caryl Churchill, playwright. •
Prunella Clough, painter (in 1968), later declined CBE in 1979. •
Roald Dahl, author (in 1986, wanted a knighthood). •
Eleanor Farjeon, author and poet (in 1959). •
Ifan ab Owen Edwards (in 1941). He accepted a knighthood in 1947. •
John Fowles, novelist (in 1992) •
Henry Green, novelist (in 1960). •
Hughie Green, television personality (in 1960). •
Graham Greene, author (in 1956), later also declined appointment as CBE. •
Tony Harrison, poet and playwright. •
Hamish Henderson, poet and folklorist (in 1983, in protest against the
Thatcher government's nuclear policies) •
H. F. Hutchinson, art historian (in 1966). •
Saiful Islam, chemistry professor (in 2019). •
Hattie Jacques, actress/comedian (in 1974). •
Carwyn James, Rugby Union coach and commentator (in 1971). •
Idwal Jones, Welsh geographical author and Labour politician (in 1982). •
Ken Loach, film director (in 1977): "I turned down the OBE because it's not a club you want to join when you look at the villains who've got it." •
L. S. Lowry, artist (declined OBE in 1955, a CBE in 1961, a knighthood in 1968 and appointment as CH, twice, in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined). •
Ivan Margary, historian (in 1960). •
Gina Martin, activist. •
Hank Marvin, guitarist (
The Shadows), 2004. •
Doreen Massey, Professor of Geography. •
Alan Mattingly,
Ramblers' Association. •
Bill Nighy, actor. •
John Oliver, comic and TV host/producer (in 2019, saying: "Why on earth would I want that?"). • Hugh John Owen, (in 1942). He accepted a knighthood in 1978. •
Iorwerth Peate, poet and scholar (in 1963). •
Eric Porter, actor (in 1969). •
T. F. O. Rippingham, architect (in 1951). •
Michael Rosen, author and poet. •
Anthony Sampson, author/journalist. •
Jennifer Saunders, comedian and actress (in 2001). Later accepted a CBE. •
Phil Scraton, professor of criminology (in 2016) "I could not receive an honour on the recommendation of those who remained unresponsive to the determined efforts of bereaved families and survivors to secure truth and justice." "I could not accept an honour tied in name to the 'British empire. •
Jon Snow, newscaster (after having declined, investigated and presented a
Channel 4 documentary,
Secrets of the Honours System.) •
David Thomas, Welsh educationalist, (in 1954). •
Bransby Williams, actor/monologuist (in 1955). •
Grace Williams, Welsh composer (in 1967).) •
Susannah York, stage and film actress. •
Benjamin Zephaniah, poet (in 2003), stating: "I get angry when I hear the word 'empire'; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds me of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised."
As a Member (MBE) • John Allen, political adviser to Prime Minister Harold Wilson, declined honour in 1969. •
Derek Allhusen, Olympic equestrian gold medallist,
1969 New Year Honours (accepted CVO in 1984 as Standard Bearer of the
Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms). •
Rowena Cade, founder of the
Minack Theatre, Cornwall (in 1969). •
Patrick Collins, sports journalist and author.) •
Huw Llywelyn Davies refused a British honour because he felt that accepting it would be "against his principles and upbringing". •
Edward Tegla Davies, Wesleyan Methodist minister and a popular Welsh language writer (in 1963). •
Howard Gayle, first black footballer to play for Liverpool FC. Declined the MBE in 2016 saying it would be "a betrayal" of Africans who suffered at the hands of the British Empire. •
Beti George (in 2020), stating "I'm also a republican and the Empire to me is a symbol of oppression, slavery and suffering. I'm in good company – the likes of Hywel Gwynfryn and the late Carwyn James and there are probably many more.". •
Bob Holman, community activist in Easterhouse, 2012 birthday honours. •
Carwyn James, Welsh international rugby player (in 1972). •
Gwendoline Laxon, declined MBE for services to charity. •
Barry McGuigan, boxer (in 1986; later accepted the honour in 1994) •
John Pandit aka Pandit G, musician, 2002, does not believe in the honours system, says acknowledgement should be given by funding projects. •
Doris Purnell, declined MBE for services to drama. •
Joan Smith, journalist, declined MBE as it was counter to the views she had spoken about in her career, i.e. atheism, feminism and republicanism. •
Alan Watkins, journalist, political columnist. == Renouncing an honour ==