People who rejected Queen's honour named
People who rejected Queen's honour named
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Thursday, 26, Jan 2012 11:43
By Neal Wallace
A list of people who turned down honours from the Queen has been published for the first time.
The author Roald Dahl, artist Lucian Freud and novelist Aldous Huxley are among the 277 people to have refused to have a title bestowed upon them between 1951 and 1999 and have since died.
News of people refusing an OBE, CBE or knighthood in the annual New Year or Birthday Honours list normally only comes to light if they volunteer the information
themselves or reports are leaked.
The list has been made public following a freedom of information request.
John Lennon returned his MBE in 1969 with a note to the Queen that read: "Your Majesty, I am returning this in 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."
Recipients of honours in the most recent list included Ronnie Corbett and golfers Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke.