The King's New Year Honors saw football’s Lionesses command the pride of their country along with Queen guitarist Brian May and artist Grayson Perry. Captain Leah Williamson is among four of England’s Euro 2022-winning side to be named in the list, being made an OBE while her teammates Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and Ellen White are all made MBEs.
Elsewhere in sport, Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis, now the president of Commonwealth Games England, is made a dame, while in showbiz, actor Stephen Graham is made an OBE and comedian Frank Skinner an MBE. Others to receive knighthoods include politicians who proved to be thorns in the side of Boris Johnson, including Conservative Julian Lewis, chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), and Labour’s Chris Bryant, who chairs the Commons Standards Committee.
There is also a prestigious honour for former Treasury permanent secretary Sir Tom Scholar, who becomes a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath having been summarily sacked by short-lived prime minister Liz Truss on her first day in office.
But acceptance is no foregone conclusion, as major celebrities have rejected awards in the past. Here are some of the stars to have turned down honours...
Nigella Lawson
The 60-year-old chef and TV personality has had a long and successful career in the industry, from writing about food in The Sunday Times to publishing her own books, to starring in her own TV shows.
Nigella was offered an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2001 but turned it down.
When asked why she didn't want the title, the Wandsworth-born star reportedly said: “I’m not saving lives and I’m not doing anything other than something I absolutely love.”
David Bowie
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. It's not what I spent my life working for.
“It's not my place to make a judgement on Jagger, it's his decision. But it's just not for me."
George Harrison and John Lennon
Though Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney accepted knighthoods, fellow Beatle George Harrison rejected an OBE in 2001.
Journalist Ray Connolly, who knew The Beatles, told the Mail on Sunday in 2013: “Whoever it was who decided to offer him the OBE and not the knighthood was extraordinarily insensitive. George would have felt insulted - and with very good reason.”
The Beatles did accept MBEs in 1965 - but, four years later, John Lennon returned his honour.
A spokesman for Apple Corps reportedly said that John had sent identical letters addressed to the Queen, the Prime Minister, and the Central Chancery saying his action was “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.”
Skepta
London rapper Skepta, whose real name is Joseph Junior Adenuga, hinted that he had turned down an MBE for the 2017 New Year's Honours in his song Hypocrisy.
In the second verse, the grime artist raps: “Just came back from the Ivors/ And look at what we collected/ The MBE got rejected/I'm not trying to be accepted.”
Stephen Hawking
In 2008, the physicist reportedly said that he had been approached with an offer of a knighthood in the late 1990s, but had turned it down.
It was later reported by Metro that his refusal was in protest against a lack of government funding for the sciences.
French and Saunders
The comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders turned down OBEs in 2001, with Jennifer reportedly explaining later to Source Magazine: “If I felt I deserved a Damehood I’d accept it.
“At the time, we felt that we were being paid very well to have a lot of fun. It didn’t seem right somehow. 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.”
Jon Snow
The recently-retired Channel 4 journalist declined an OBE during his career.
When asked about the decision in an interview with the National Union of Students, he said: “I don't think working hacks should take honours from the authorities they are charged with reporting.”
Jim Broadbent
The Oscar-winning star of ‘Iris’ turned down an OBE in the 2000s, stating: “"I’m not that comfortable with actors receiving honors, partly because I think they ought to go to those who really help others... Besides, I like the idea of actors not being part of the Establishment. We’re vagabonds and rogues, and we’re not a part of the authorities and Establishment, really. If you mix the two together, things get blurry."
Danny Boyle
The director of ‘Trainspotting’, ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was offered a knighthood but declined.
He told Radio 4: "People fought many battles to make everybody free, equal citizens.
“I have no reason to believe that being a preferred subject would have any value that could improve the pride I feel in being an equal citizen."
