untitled design

United Kingdom: number of people refusing Queen’s honors increases

 

The British kingdom seems to be losing its former glory. An ominous sign which indeed has cause for concern Elizabeth II: the number of people refusing the honors of Her Majesty has been constantly increasing since 2011, as revealed The Guardian, mardi 1is December 2020. Order of the British Empire, Order of Imperial Service, Knight… 443 Britons have rejected a title rewarding their merit, service or bravery, according to figures from the Cabinet office.

In 2020, 68 people refused the Grail, against 25 in 2011. In question, according to the experts quoted by the British media, the growing awareness of the evils of the kingdom, such as accusations of racism, and the unease caused by the hijacking by successive governments of this 700-year-old system to reward political allies and donors.

Norman Baker, former Liberal Democrat MP, confirms that the granting of honorary titles has been “corrupted” by political parties, who use it to “distribute favors often in exchange for political donations”. And the elected to continue: “It devalued the system, so that people think it is less dignified than before. ” The Guardian also recalls that the appointment process is somewhat opaque. Downing Street can thus ask the lucky ones if they will accept the announcement before making it public.

Rejection rates for honors remain extremely low

Insistent rumors even point to an upcoming reform to restore the image of honorary titles. For example, consideration would be given to eliminating the word “empire” from the title of “Order of the British Empire”. Hypothesis immediately denied by a spokesperson for the Cabinet office: “As the figures show, the rejection rates for honors remain extremely low. There has been considerable reform of the system over the past 25 years to ensure it is more inclusive. There are no plans to change the name of any of the titles. ”

Still, many personalities have refused the praises of His Majesty. Howard Gayle, the first black footballer of Liverpool FC, who has since campaigned with the charity Show Racism the Red Card, has refused to be part of the Order of the Red Card. British Empire in 2016. He feared that his ancestors “would turn in their graves because the Empire and colonialism had enslaved them.”

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular