of monarchy in this day and age, when banksters
have ruined everything, is just one tiara to many.
I'm very happy that people have refused KNIGHTHOODS because:
it looks stupid
most recipients haven't done any good to society
many recipients are outright criminals (e.g. bankers)
it's a jarring anachronism
what Empire?
what Empire?
great people are not self-made, but part of a team
they are Republicans, or Socialists
and so on
Check out Honor Blackman particularly. She takes the piss out
of Mr Scotland Sean Connery, who has taken the Royal pill.
checkit: Yahoo UK Movies Features
The movie stars who snubbed
Royal honours
No thanks ma’am…
By Mark Lankester | Yahoo UK
Movies Features – Thu, Mar 28, 2013 11:23 GMT
You’d think in the
flamboyant world of movies, being the centre of attention for one extra day
would be something to grab with both hands. That is unless that admiration
happens to be coming from an 86-year-old woman with a penchant for jazzy hats –
or the Queen, as she likes to be called.
[Related story: Boyle: I
turned down knighthood]
With Danny Boyle’s swish
psycho-thriller ‘Trance’ hitting cinemas this week, we’re reminded just what a
talented chap he is. So talented in fact, that said Queen offered the
‘Trainspotting’ director a knighthood - for his masterminding of the London
2012 Olympic opening ceremony. Only Danny turned it down.
“It’s just not me,” Boyle
recently admitted, “I thought it was wrong, actually.”
The 56-year-old would-be Sir
didn’t want to be seen to take full credit for the event: “You can make these
speeches about 'this is everybody's work, blah blah blah'. And you've got to
mean it, and I did mean it.”
But Boyle’s not the first of
his kind to go all noble when dealing with the nobles. Here are some more
reluctant movie stars, and their reasons for snubbing a Royal honour:
Silly... Cleese mocked Royal
Honours (Credit: Rex)
John Cleese
In 1999 comedy legend Cleese
was offered a Life Peerage, and a seat in the House Of Lords, for his services
to The Liberal Democrats. However Cleese declined the honour, and the bonus
title of “Baron”, telling the Sunday Telegraph in 2011 “I realised this would
involve being in England in the winter and I thought that was too much of a
price to pay.” Well, it’s as good a reason as any. Cleese had previously turned
down a CBE in 1996, stating “I think they’re silly.”
Albert Finney
Acting veteran Finney, who
we recently saw keeping the British end up in ‘Skyfall’, declined a CBE in
1980, and a knighthood in 2000. In a scathing attack on the honours system,
‘Bourne’ and ‘Big Fish’ star Finney described the idea of knighting people as a
disease, adding that it “perpetuates snobbery.”
Broadbent... Disliked the
empire's dark history (Credit: Rex)
Jim Broadbent
Ever loveable Jim turned
down an OBE in 2002, humbly stating that he wasn’t comfortable with actors
receiving Royal recognition. “I think [honours] ought to go to those who really
help others,” he told the Telegraph. “Besides, I like the idea of actors not
being part of the Establishment. We’re vagabonds and rogues.” Broadbent then
went on to take issue with the system’s subtext, saying: “I don't think the
British Empire is something that I particularly want to celebrate.”
Michael Winner
In 2006 it emerged cult
director Winner had been offered an OBE for his dedicated campaigning for the
Police Memorial Trust, and not his once controversial movies. Winner declined,
telling the Sunday Times: “An OBE is what you get if you clean the toilets well
at King’s Cross Station.” Ever the charmer, Winner then mocked the “rubbish”
who accepted honours: “When you look at the absolute non-service they have
given to the nation other than financing or working for political parties, you
say, 'What company am I in?' Adding: “At least if you go straight to the House
of Lords you can wear fancy dress and have a giggle.”
Republican... Honor believes
in an elected head of state (Credit: Rex)
Honor Blackman
There’s more to Blackman
than Pussy Galore. The iconic Bond girl is a vocal supporter of Republic, the
campaign for an elected head of state in the UK – so it’s hardly surprising
that she turned down a CBE from her never-to-be-best-mate monarch in 2002. Blackman
has also publicly criticised fellow Bond star Sir Sean Connery for his tax
evading habits. “I don’t think you should accept a title from a country and
then pay absolutely no tax towards it,” she said in 2012, “I don’t think his
principles are very high.”
Ken Loach
Literally the least likely
person to accept a Royal honour, it’s surprising outspoken socialist Loach was
ever offered one in the first place. The proudly left-wing director turned down
an OBE in 1997, later explaining his reasons in a 2001 interview. “It's all the
things I think are despicable,” he told the Radio Times, “Patronage, deferring
to the monarchy and the name of the British Empire, which is a monument of
exploitation and conquest.” Loach cheerfully described the honour as “not a
club you want to join when you look at the villains who've got it”.
Other movie types that
turned down British Honours include: Trevor Howard, Alan Rickman, Malcolm
McDowell, Hattie Jacques, Paul Scofield, Ian McDiarmid and Bill Nighy.
