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). The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... (Bengali: , IPA: ) (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), also known by the sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ...

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. Downing Street Downing Street gates Downing Street is the street in London which contains the buildings that have been, for over two hundred years, the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers, the First Lord of the Treasury, an office held by the Prime Minister of...

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 misconstrued as being political rewards. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January 1937) is an Academy Award winning English actress and member of the Redgrave family, one of the enduring theatrical dynasties. ... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a Welsh novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian parentage, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross...

Sometimes a potential recipient will refuse a knighthood or peerage, but will accept an honour, such as the Order of Merit (OM) or Companion of Honour (CH), that does not carry a title (Paul Scofield, Doris Lessing, Harold Pinter, David Hockney, Florence Nightingale and Augustus John are famous examples). For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... For other Orders see Order of Merit (disambiguation). ... The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order (decoration). ... David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE (born 21 January 1922) is a British actor who was born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, England. ... Doris Lessing CH OBE (born Doris May Tayler in Kermanshah, Persia (now Iran),[1] on 22 October 1919[2]) is a British writer, author of works such as the novels The Grass is Singing and The Golden Notebook. ... Harold Pinter, CH, CBE (born 10 October 1930) is an English playwright, screenwriter, poet, actor, director, author, and political activist. ... We Two Boys Together Clinging, 1961. ... Embley Park, now a school, was the family home of Florence Nightingale. ... Artist John, on a 1928 Time cover Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, (January 4, 1878 – October 31, 1961) was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. ...

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. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ...

People who have refused an honour

• Derek Allhusen, Olympic equestrian gold-medallist in 1968 (declined MBE)
• Peter Alliss, golfer and commentator (declined OBE in 2002)
• Frank Auerbach, artist (declined a knighthood in 2003)
• Charles Babbage, scientist
• Francis Bacon, artist (declined Commander of the British Empire, or CBE, in 1960 and CH in 1977)
• J. G. Ballard, author (declined CBE in 2003)
• Nancy Banks-Smith, television critic (declined CBE in 1970)
• Leonard Barden, British Chess Champion in 1954 (declined an MBE)
• Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International (declined knighthood)
• Alan Bennett, playwright (declined knighthood in 1996 and CBE in 1988)
• Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM, philosopher (declined life peerage in 1980)
• Honor Blackman, actress (declined CBE in 2002)
• David Bowie, musician (declined CBE in 2000; declined knighthood in 2003)
• Sir Francis Boyd, journalist (declined CBE in 1967; accepted knighthood in 1976)
• Kenneth Branagh, actor and director (declined CBE in 1994)
• Benjamin Britten, composer (declined knighthood; accepted CH, OM and life peerage)
• Jim Broadbent, actor (declined OBE in 2002)
• The Lady Callaghan of Cardiff, campaigner and fundraiser (declined DBE)
• Sir Winston Churchill, KG, OM, CH, statesman (declined dukedom in order to remain in House of Commons and to allow his son a political career)
• John Cole, journalist (declined CBE in 1993)
• Joseph Conrad, author (declined knighthood)
• Joseph Corre, co-founder of Agent Provocateur (declined MBE in 2007^[1])
• John Cleese, actor/comedian (declined CBE in 1996)
• Emer Rose Crangle, aid worker (declined MBE in 1999)
• Hugh Cudlipp, OBE, editor (declined knighthood in 1966. Accepted Knighthood 1973 and a life peerage in 1974)
• The Revd Hugh Bruce Cunningham, minister (declined knighthood in 1700s)
• Roald Dahl, author (declined OBE in 1986)
• Bernie Ecclestone, owner of Formula One commercial rights (declined CBE in 1996)
• Michael Faraday, chemist and physicist (declined knighthood)
• Albert Finney, actor (declined CBE in 1980 and knighthood in 2000)
• Michael Frayn, dramatist (declined CBE in 1989 and knighthood in 2003)
• Dawn French, comedienne (declined OBE in 2001 along with Jennifer Saunders)
• Lucian Freud, artist (declined CBE in 1977; accepted CH in 1983 and OM in 1993)
• John Galsworthy, novelist (declined knighthood, accepted OM)
• Robert Graves, poet and novelist (declined CBE in 1957 and CH in 1984)
• Graham Greene, author (declined OBE in 1956; accepted CH in 1966 and OM in 1986)
• Field-Marshal Lord Douglas Haig, WWI general (declined viscountcy, later accepted earldom)
• Thomas Hardy, novelist/poet (declined knighthood; accepted OM)
• Lenny Henry, comedian (declined OBE; accepted CBE)
• Sir Wally Herbert, polar explorer (declined CBE, accepted knighthood)
• Sir Alfred Hitchcock, director (declined CBE in 1962; accepted KBE in 1980)
• David Hockney, artist (declined knighthood in 1990; accepted CH in 1997)
• Charles Holden, architect
• A.E. Housman, poet
• Trevor Howard, actor (declined knighthood)
• Aldous Huxley, author (declined knighthood in 1959)
• Hattie Jacques, actress and comedienne (declined OBE in the 1970s)
• Augustus John, artist (declined knighthood on a number of occasions, probably at the urging of his wife; accepted OM)
• Anish Kapoor, artist
• Rudyard Kipling, author and poet (declined knighthood)
• Richard Lambert, editor of the Financial Times
• Philip Larkin, poet (declined OBE 1968 on grounds that he deserved a higher honour; accepted CBE 1975 and CH 1985; declined Laureateship 1984)
• T. E. Lawrence, CB, DSO, World War I soldier, diplomat, and author, best known as Lawrence of Arabia (declined KCB)
• Nigella Lawson, cookery writer (declined OBE)
• John Le Carré, author (declined CBE)
• Doris Lessing, author (declined OBE in 1977 and DBE in 1993; accepted CH in 2000)
• C.S. Lewis, author, Oxford professor (declined knighthood to avoid association with any political issues)
• Ken Loach, director (declined OBE)
• L. S. Lowry, artist (declined OBE in 1955, CBE in 1961, knighthood in 1968, and CH in 1972 and 1976; holds the record for the most honours declined)
• Geraldine McEwan, actress (declined OBE in 1986 and damehood in 2002)
• Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum (declined knighthood in 1999)
• Barry McGuigan, boxer (declined MBE in 1986; accepted MBE in 1994)
• Alexander Mackenzie, second Prime Minister of Canada (declined knighthood as he thought it an affront to his Scottish heritage)
• Dan McKenzie, earth scientist (declined knighthood; accepted CH in 2003)
• Hank Marvin, guitarist (The Shadows) (declined OBE)
• A. E. W. Mason, novelist, who declared that honours meant nothing to a childless man
• George Melly, musician, artist and raconteur (declined CBE in 2001)
• Dame Helen Mirren, actress (declined CBE in 1996; accepted DBE in 2003)
• William Martin Murphy, industrialist, MP (declined knighthood in 1906)
• Sir V. S. Naipaul, author (declined CBE in 1977; accepted knighthood in 1990)
• Harold Pinter, playwright (declined knighthood; accepted CH)
• Anthony Powell, writer (declined knighthood; accepted CH)
• J. B. Priestley, OM, playwright
• Vanessa Redgrave, CBE, actress (declined DBE in 1999)
• Richard Redgrave, artist (declined knighthood in 1869)
• Keith Richards, guitarist (The Rolling Stones) (declined CBE)
• V.M. Sabherwall, Birmingham industrialist (declined OBE)
• Francisco Javier Sánchez Broto, footballer and philanthropist (declined honorary knighthood)
• John Singer Sargent, US painter (declined an honorary knighthood)
• Jennifer Saunders, comedienne (declined OBE in 2001 along with Dawn French)
• Paul Scofield, CH, CBE, actor (declined knighthood on several occasions)
• Alastair Sim, CBE, actor (declined a knighthood)
• Robert Simpson, composer (declined CBE)
• Savenaca Siwatibau, Fijian academic (declined CBE)
• Joan Smith, journalist (declined MBE)
• Jon Snow, newscaster (declined OBE, then investigated and presented a Channel 4 documentary Secrets of the Honours System [1])
• Claire Tomalin, journalist and biographer
• Polly Toynbee, columnist (declined CBE in 2000)
• Ralph Vaughan Williams, composer (declined knighthood; accepted OM)
• Evelyn Waugh, novelist (declined CBE in 1959)
• Paul Weller, musician (declined CBE in 2007)
• Rachel Whiteread, artist (declined MBE in 1997; accepted CBE in 2006)
• Grace Williams, composer (declined OBE)
• Michael Winner, director (declined OBE in 2006)
• Pearl Witherington, Special Operations Executive agent (declined later compensating award of MBE when men who had performed the same heroic acts in same wartime Resistance roles were being awarded MC (Military Cross) at the time. Her recommendation had been turned down simply because of her sex, not lack of gallantry. The first female MC was Michelle Norris in 2006.)
• Bill Woodfull, cricketer (declined knighthood in 1934 for services to cricket; accepted OBE in 1963 for services to education)
• W.B. Yeats, Anglo-Irish poet (declined knighthood in 1915, seven years before becoming a Senator of the newly-formed Irish Free State)
• Benjamin Zephaniah, poet (declined OBE)
• Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan (declined LVO, OBE and CVO)

Major Derek Swithin Allhusen (January 9, 1914 - April 4, 2000) was an English equestrian who was a 54 year old grandfather when he rode Lochinvar to team gold and individual silver medals at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. ... Peter Alliss (born February 28, 1931) is an English golfer, television presenter and commentator, author and golf course designer. ... Frank Helmut Auerbach (born April 29, 1931) is a jewish painter. ... Babbage redirects here. ... Francis Bacon (28 October 1909 – 28 April 1992) was an Irish figurative painter. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... James Graham Ballard (born 15 November 1930 in Shanghai) is a British writer. ... Nancy Banks-Smith is a British television critic; she began writing for The Guardian in 1969. ... Leonard William Barden is an English chess columnist and promoter. ... Peter James Henry Solomon Benenson (July 31, 1921 – February 25, 2005) was an English lawyer and the founder of human rights group Amnesty International (AI). ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... Published by Faber/Profile Books in 2005 Alan Bennett (born May 9, 1934) is an English author and actor noted for his work, his boyish appearance and his sonorous Yorkshire accent. ... Sir Isaiah Berlin, OM (June 6, 1909 – November 5, 1997), was a political philosopher and historian of ideas, regarded as one of the leading liberal thinkers of the 20th century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Kenneth Charles Branagh (born December 10, 1960) is an Emmy Award-winning, Academy Award-nominated Northern Irish-born actor and film director. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... James Broadbent (born May 24, 1949) is an Academy Award-winning English theatre, film and television actor. ... Audrey Callaghan (née Audrey Elizabeth Moulton), Lady Callaghan (July 28, 1915 - March 15, 2005), was the wife of British prime minister James Callaghan and was herself a campaigner and fundraiser for childrens health and welfare. ... Churchill redirects here. ... Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... John Cole may refer to the following people: John Cole (bobsleigh), who competed for the United States. ... // Joseph Conrad (born Teodor Józef Konrad NaÅ‚Ä™cz-Korzeniowski, 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Polish-born novelist who spent most of his adult life in Britain. ... This article is about the lingerie brand. ... “Cleese” redirects here. ... Hugh Kinsman Cudlipp (1913 - May 17, 1998), was a Welsh journalist. ... Modern interpretation The Revd Hugh Bruce Cunningham (1694 - 1790) was a Scottish dominie or minister who was excommunicated by order of the Pope for heresy and for inflicting great slaughter in battle. He and his son, Roderick, both refused knighthoods from King George III. He may have been one of... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a Welsh novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian parentage, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... Bernard Charles Bernie Ecclestone (born October 22, 1930 near Bungay, Suffolk, England) is the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, and owns a stake in Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. ... F1 redirects here. ... Michael Faraday, FRS (September 22, 1791 – August 25, 1867) was an English chemist and physicist (or natural philosopher, in the terminology of that time) who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. ... Albert Finney (born May 9, 1936 in Salford, Lancashire, England) is a five-time Academy Award-nominated English actor of Irish descent. ... Michael Frayn (born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. ... Dawn Roma French[1] (born 11 October 1957) is a BAFTA Award-nominated British comedian and actress best known for starring in her comedy sketch show French & Saunders along with her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and for playing the lead role in The Vicar of Dibley as Geraldine Granger. ... Jennifer Jane Saunders (born July 6, 1958[1] in Sleaford, Lincolnshire) is a BAFTA- and Emmy Award-winning English comedian, writer and actress. ... Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH (born 8 December 1922) is a British painter and printmaker. ... John Galsworthy OM (14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. ... Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... This article is about the writer Graham Greene. ... Field Marshal Lord Haig Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC (June 19, 1861 – January 28, 1928) was a British soldier and senior commander (Field Marshal) during World War I. He was commander of the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of the Somme... Thomas Hardy redirects here. ... Lenworth George Henry CBE, BA (Hons) English Literature (born 29 August 1958), better known as that black guy on the telly whos married to the fat one, is an English writer, comedian and actor. ... Sir Wally Herbert is a British polar explorer, writer and artist. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... We Two Boys Together Clinging, 1961. ... Charles Henry Holden (12 May 1875 - 1 May 1960) was an English architect known for his designs of stations on the London Underground railway system. ... Alfred Edward Housman (March 26, 1859 _ April 30, 1936) was an English poet and classical scholar, now best known for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad. ... Trevor Howard, CBE (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988), born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English movie, stage and television actor. ... Aldous Leonard Huxley (July 26, 1894 – November 22, 1963) was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. ... Josephine Edwina Jacques (7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980), better known by the stage name Hattie Jacques, (pronounced Jakes) was a British comedy actress born in Sandgate, Kent. ... Artist John, on a 1928 Time cover Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, (January 4, 1878 – October 31, 1961) was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. ... 1000 Names, 1985 Anish Kapoor (born 1954) is a sculptor. ... This article is about the British author. ... Richard Lambert was editor of the Financial Times until 2001. ... Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL, (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist and jazz critic. ... Lawrence of Arabia redirects here. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... Nigella Lucy Lawson (born January 6, 1960) is an English journalist, cookery writer and television presenter. ... John le Carré is the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born October 19, 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England), an English writer of espionage novels. ... Doris Lessing CH OBE (born Doris May Tayler in Kermanshah, Persia (now Iran),[1] on 22 October 1919[2]) is a British writer, author of works such as the novels The Grass is Singing and The Golden Notebook. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ... Ken Loach Kenneth Loach (born June 17, 1936), known as Ken Loach, is an English television and film director, known for his naturalistic style and socialist themes. ... Lawrence Stephen Lowry (November 1, 1887 - February 23, 1976) was an English artist born in Rusholme, Manchester. ... Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown on May 9, 1932, in Old Windsor, Berkshire, England), is a British actress (of Irish extraction) with a diverse and successful history in film, theatre and television spanning 55 years. ... Robert Neil MacGregor (born 1946) is an art historian and museum director. ... Finbar Patrick Barry McGuigan MBE (born February 28, 1961 in Clones, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland), nicknamed The Clones Cyclone, is a former professional boxer who became a world Featherweight champion. ... For other persons named Alexander Mackenzie, see Alexander Mackenzie (disambiguation). ... Dan McKenzie, CH, FRS ( 1942) is a Professor of Geophysics at Cambridge University, and one-time head of the Bullard Laboratories. ... Brian Robson Rankin (born 28 October 1941), better known by the stage name Hank B. Marvin, is the English lead guitarist for the band The Shadows. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (7 May 1865 - 22 November 1948) was a British author. ... George Melly (born: 17 August 1926 in Liverpool, England) is a British jazz and blues singer. ... Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born July 26, 1945), is an English stage, television and film actress. ... William Martin Murphy was an Irish businessman and politician, best known for his role as leader of an employers syndicate in the Dublin Lockout of 1913. ... Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul, T.C. (born August 17, 1932, in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago), better known as V. S. Naipaul, is a Trinidadian-born British writer of Indo-Trinidadian ethnicity and Bhumihar Brahmin heritage from Gorakhpur in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. ... Harold Pinter, CH, CBE (born 10 October 1930) is an English playwright, screenwriter, poet, actor, director, author, and political activist. ... Anthony Dymoke Powell, CH (December 21, 1905 - March 28, 2000) was a British novelist best known for his A Dance to the Music of Time duodecalogy published between 1951 and 1975. ... John Boynton Priestley, OM (born 13 September 1894, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, died 14 August 1984, Warwickshire) was an English writer and broadcaster . ... Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January 1937) is an Academy Award winning English actress and member of the Redgrave family, one of the enduring theatrical dynasties. ... The Outcast by Richard Redgrave Richard Redgrave (30 April 1804 - 14 December 1888) was an English artist born in Pimlico. ... Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones in 1962. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Self Portrait, 1906, oil on canvas, 70 x 53 cm, Uffizi Gallery, Florence. ... Jennifer Jane Saunders (born July 6, 1958[1] in Sleaford, Lincolnshire) is a BAFTA- and Emmy Award-winning English comedian, writer and actress. ... Dawn Roma French[1] (born 11 October 1957) is a BAFTA Award-nominated British comedian and actress best known for starring in her comedy sketch show French & Saunders along with her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and for playing the lead role in The Vicar of Dibley as Geraldine Granger. ... David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE (born 21 January 1922) is a British actor who was born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, England. ... Alastair Sim in Scrooge (1951) (aka A Christmas Carol) Alastair Sim, CBE (October 9, 1900 – August 19, 1976) was a Scottish character actor, whose comic appearance ensured him success in a string of classic British films. ... Robert Simpson may refer to: Robert Simpson, Canadian founder of Simpsons Department Store Robert Simpson, English musician Bob Simpson, American meteorologist and co-developer of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale Robert Simson, Scottish mathematician This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... Savenaca Siwatibau Savenaca Siwatibau (1940 - 2003) was a Fijian academic leader and civil service administrator. ... Joan Smith (born 1953 in London) is an United Kingdom novelist, journalist and human rights activist, who is a former chair of the Writers in Prison committeee in the English section of International PEN. Smith read Latin at the University of Reading in the early 1970s. ... Jon Snow is one of the main presenters of Channel 4 News. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Claire Tomalin (born June 20, 1933) is an English biographer and journalist. ... Polly Toynbee (born Mary Louisa Toynbee on December 27, 1946) is a journalist and writer in the United Kingdom, and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998. ... A statue of Ralph Vaughan Williams in Dorking. ... Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Arthur Evelyn St. ... Paul Weller The Modfather (born John William Weller May 25, 1958, in Sheerwater, near Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. ... Rachel Whiteread CBE (born 1963) is a British artist, best known for her sculptures, which typically take the form of casts, and first woman to win the Turner Prize. ... Grace Mary Williams (February 19, 1906 - February 10, 1977) was a Welsh composer. ... Winner at a book signing for his autobiography Michael Winner (born 30 October 1935) is an English film director and producer, active in both Europe and the United States, also known as a food critic for the Sunday Times. ... This article or section needs to be wikified. ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ... Michele Norris Private Michelle Norris is a British soldier and medic noted for heroism in the 2003 Iraq conflict. ... Bill Woodfull William Bill Woodfull (22 August 1897, Maldon, Victoria, Australia - 11 August 1965, Tweed Heads South, New South Wales) was an Australian cricket player. ... A 1907 engraving of Yeats. ... Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (born 15 April 1958, Coles Hill, Birmingham, England) is a British Rastafarian writer and dub poet, and is well known in contemporary English literature. ... Craig Murray (born October, 1958)[1] is a British political activist, university rector and former ambassador to Uzbekistan. ...

In fiction

According to the text of The Adventure of the Three Garridebs, fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was offered a knighthood and refused it. The Adventure of the Three Garridebs, one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ...

In Ian Fleming's last James Bond novel, "The Man With the Golden Gun", Bond refuses a KCMG, (Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George). On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ...

People who have returned an honour

As no official provision exists for renouncing an honour, any such act is always unofficial, and the record of the award in The London Gazette stands. However the physical badge can be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood - though even this act is purely symbolic, as a replacement badge 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. Another example is the actor Sidney Poitier who was awarded a KBE in 1974 but has never used the title professionally (although the government of the Bahamas has used it on his behalf). The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ... The Honourable Sir Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen[1], GBM, KBE, JP (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: , born October 7, 1944) has been the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2005. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Sir Sidney Poitier KBE, (IPA pronunciation: ) (born February 20, 1927), is an Academy Award-winning Bahamian American actor, film director, and activist. ...

Recipients who have returned insignia include:

• Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, journalist (returned MBE in 2003)
• Roy Bailey, folk singer (returned his MBE in August 2006 in protest at the UK government's foreign policy in Lebanon and Palestine)
• John Lennon, musician (returned MBE in 1969 "in protest against Britain's involvement in the Biafra thing, its support of America in Vietnam").
• Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, cricketer (knighted in 1936; returned knighthood in 1947 on India's independence)
• Rabindranath Tagore, author and poet (knighted in 1915; returned knighthood in 1919 to protest the Amritsar massacre)
• Carla Lane, television cook (awarded OBE in 1989; returned OBE in 2002 in protest at award of CBE to the managing director of Huntingdon Life Sciences because of the company's testing on animals)
• Susan Wighton, AIDS worker (returned MBE in 2006 in protest at the UK government's foreign policy in the Middle East)

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (born Yasmin Damji on 10 December 1949) is a Uganda-born journalist, based in London; she only hyphenated her surname after her second marriage in 1990. ... Roy Bailey (born 20 October 1935, in London), is a British socialist folk singer. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Combatants Nigerian federal government Republic of Biafra Commanders Yakubu Gowon Odumegwu Ojukwu Casualties 200,000 soldiers and civilians Estimated 1,000,000 soldiers and civilians The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, July 6, 1967 – January 13, 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. ... (Bengali: , IPA: ) (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), also known by the sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... The Amritsar massacre The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in Amritsar, where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children. ... CARLA LANE. Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. ... Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) is a contract animal-testing company founded in 1952 in England, now with facilities in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and Eye, Suffolk in the UK; New Jersey in the U.S.; and in Japan. ...

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 ^[2]. For the brush-footed butterfly species, see Euthalia nais. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ...

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. Sir Jonathon Espie Porritt, 2nd Baronet, CBE (born 6 July 1950) known as Jonathon Porritt, is a British environmentalist and writer. ... Friends of the Earth is an international network of environmental organizations in 70 countries. ... Ferdinand Mount (born 1939) is a British writer, columnist for the Sunday Times and commentator on politics, and Conservative Party politician. ... Francis Dashwood, 15th Baron le Despencer (December, 1708 - December 11, 1781) was an English rake and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer (1762-1763) and founder of The Hellfire Club. ...

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. Sir Thomas Dalyell of the Binns, 11th Baronet (born 9 August 1932), more commonly known as Tam Dalyell (pronounced ), is a Scottish politician and was a Labour member of the House of Commons from 1962 to 2005. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. ...

References

1. ^ Lingerie firm founder rejects MBE, BBC News, June 20, 2007.
2. ^ Whitaker's Almanac, 2005, p 83 et seq.