From rockstars to scholars: Major public figures to refuse knighthood over the years

Ever wondered what David Bowie, Stephen Hawking, and JK Rowling have in common? Well, for one, all of them turned down the royal honour of British knighthood.

Bestowed by the United Kingdom’s sovereign, knighthood in the island nation is bestowed upon a selected list of notable personalities from various fields.

Over the years, several such visionaries have stepped up to collect their knighthood honours, effectively dubbing them either “sir” or a “dame”.

However, there are those who have also rejected the offer, citing various reasons.

Here are a few most notable ones to do so:

David Bowie

The designated Starman, David Bowie refused to be knighted into the British empire twice — first turning down a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2000 and then a knighthood in 2003.

Reflecting on his decision, he later revealed, “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.”

Stephen Hawking

Famous physician, cosmologist, and celebrated author — among a host of other distinctions — Stephen Hawking chose to not associate himself with the British knighthood around the late 1990s, despite being appointed a CBE in 1982.

While he revealed the fact in 2008, the late innovator later claimed that his decision was based on the British establishment’s ignorant attitude towards science — citing the lack of funds and subsequent cuts for the discipline — and according to a spokesperson for him, “Prof Hawking does not like titles. In fact he dislikes the whole concept of them.”

JK Rowling

The controversial author behind the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling turned down a chance to be ordained by the British monarchy twice, by her own admission.

In true Rowling fashion, she revealed the news herself via her infamous X (formerly Twitter) handle, writing, “It’s considered bad form to talk about this but I’ll make an exception given the very particular circumstances. I’ve already turned down a peerage twice, once under Labour and once under the Tories.”

Rudyard Kipling

Famed author and poet behind many a classic work, including The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling was reportedly approached to receive a knighthood several times but declined the offer on every occasion.

While his wife explained his decision to do so as part of his feeling that he could “do his work better without it”, it has been noted that since most of Kipling’s work is based on his observations of the horrid British rule in the subcontinent, he probably denied the knighthood due to his opposition against it.

Benjamin Zephaniah

A poet, writer, and a Reggae artist, Benjamin Zephaniah said “no, thankyou” to the British empire’s offer to be inducted into the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2003.

Detailing his decision in public — and quite audaciously so — part of his statement revealed, “Me? I thought: ‘OBE – me?’ Up yours, I thought. I get angry when I hear that word ‘empire’; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised. I am not one of those who are obsessed with their roots, and I’m certainly not suffering from a crisis of identity; my obsession is about the future and the political rights of all people.”

Nigella Lawson

Popular TV chef and host, Nigella Lawson also turned down an OBE from Queen Elizabeth in 2001.

Though her reason for rejecting the offer revealed a humble side, as she explained, “I’m not saving lives and I’m not doing anything other than something I absolutely love.”

Danny Boyle

The Oscar winning filmmaker, Danny Boyle declined a knighthood, which was offered to him for directing the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.

“It’s just not me. I also thought it was wrong, actually,” he told the Radio Times about his decision, while also adding that he didn’t think he would “ever get invited back to the palace.”

Ariana Grande

The most shocking name (and the only American) on the list, Ariana Grande “politely” declined a damehood which was offered for her heartfelt response to the survivors of the tragic Manchester bombing in 2017, which occurred during her concert.

“She feared some affected might see it as insensitive. The committee wrote to her but she politely said no,” a source close to the songstress told The Sun in 2018.