Sometimes a potential recipient refuses a knighthood or peerage but accepts an honour that does not bestow a title (or precedence), such as the Order of Merit (OM) or the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH). Examples are E. M.
An honour can only be forfeited by the decision of His Majesty. However, an individual may decide to renounce their honour voluntarily and take the practical steps required of those that have forfeited. They would still hold the honour unless or until HM King annulled it.
As to why, many people decline because they feel they deserve a higher honour than the one on offer. This is a silly, short-sighted attitude because few people go from nothing straight to a knighthood/damehood for example, which is the top honour.
He refused a CBE in 2000 and later a knighthood in 2003. The 68-year-old reportedly explained: “I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that. I seriously don't know what it's for. It's not what I spent my life working for."
Music icon David Bowie apparently turned down two honours, a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2000 and a knighthood three years later. "I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that," he said in 2003, the same year Mick Jagger was given a knighthood. "I seriously don't know what it's for.
His behaviour over his decades as a rockstar had garnered him global publicity, alongside multiple arrests and eight children from five different women. Ultimately, Sir Mick's history left many feeling he was not of the required calibre to become a knight.
Stephen Hawking CH CBE, physicist, reportedly turned down a knighthood because he "does not like titles." Bill Hayden, Governor-General of Australia. Patrick Heron, artist, declined a knighthood allegedly over the education policy of the government in the 1980s.
Mick Jagger (GBE)
The Rolling Stones frontman was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on Dec. 12, 2003.
Starr, who is one of two remaining members of the Beatles, was beat to the knighthood punch by bandmate Paul McCartney, who received the title “Sir” in 1997. They are the only two Beatles to be knighted; George Harrison and John Lennon passed away in 2001 and 1980, respectively.
Degradation is the formal term for removal of a knighthood or other honour. The last knight to be publicly degraded was Sir Francis Mitchell in 1621.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author Roald Dahl rejected an OBE in the 1986 New Year's Honours. It is thought that he was hoping for a knighthood instead to elevate his status to “Sir” and his wife to “Lady Dahl”. Tragically, the much-loved author died without any honours in 1990.
Attenborough received his first knighthood from Queen Elizabeth in 1985. Sir David Attenborough was knighted—again! —today. In 1985, Queen Elizabeth awarded Attenborough with the Knights Bachelor honor.
From 1976 to 1986 and 2014 to 2015 there was provision for the appointment of Knights and Dames in the Order of Australia. In the Australian honours system appointments to the Order of Australia confer the highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service.
Just a few of the benefits reported from Knights and Dames include: Raised awareness of their work, ideas and projects. This is often a highly positive outcome of receiving a knighthood or damehood and it can be the recognition they need to open doors and build upon their achievements even further.
The reason the footballing legend previously hadn't received a knighthood was due to an issue with HM Customs and Revenue. David was deemed ineligible for the honour after he was linked to a tax avoidance scheme over 10 years ago.
On this day in 1998, Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) became Sir Elton John, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor for "services to music and charitable services".
Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor, was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honor, while bassist John Deacon, who left the band in 1997, never received a similar honor. Late singer Freddie Mercury also never received an honor prior to his death in 1991.
Prince Charles appointed Adele a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music back in 2013.
Gates has been awarded the title KBE, or Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for his contribution to enterprise, employment, education and the voluntary sector in the U.K., and for his efforts to reduce poverty in the developing world, including parts of the British Commonwealth.
Cumberbatch was appointed a CBE in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to the performing arts and to charity. He received the honour from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 10 November 2015.
No, technically Jimmy Savile is no longer a Sir. This is because Knighthoods are only considered a living honour and they cease to exist after the person's death. It is for this reason that Jimmy Savile's knighthood was not posthumously stripped.
The youngest knight in history was Prince George, the future George IV, who was aged three when he was made a knight of the garter in 1765. Murray lost an exhibition match yesterday to David Goffin in the first round of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, and left without commenting.