Over the years, major public figures have expressed their dissatisfaction with the royals by refusing to receive royal titles. Some of those celebrities have also publicly returned their honors to the British royal family, either because they felt they did not deserve them or because they disagreed with its policies.
Alan Cumming was honored in 2009 with an OBE; however, some time later, he said, ‘The Queen’s death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes“, finally returning his title.
Michael Sheen also expressed his displeasure and subsequently returned the honors the royal family bestowed on him in 2009, as did singer-songwriter David Bowie, who twice refused the Queen’s honors, saying, “I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that; it’s not what I spent my life working for“.
George Harrison of the Beatles also turned down the OBE, as did comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in 2001, who claimed, “We didn’t deserve a pat on the back. It felt a bit fake to stand alongside people who devoted their lives to truly worthy causes“, just like Nigella Lawson did in the same year.
