Why does the Honours system feel like coercion?

When someone is awarded an MBE, OBE, or similar honour, it looks on the surface like a straightforward celebration of service. But for people who don’t agree with the monarchy or who feel uneasy about the word “Empire” in the award’s title, the system can feel less like a gift and more like a subtle form of pressure.

Here’s why:

Public association is built in

Accepting an honour doesn’t just mean getting a certificate; it means appearing at a ceremony with a member of the Royal Family and being photographed with the insignia. That makes the award inseparable from the monarchy in the public eye.

Declining isn’t neutral

If someone refuses, their name has usually already been published on the Honours List. Turning it down can spark headlines or awkward questions, making refusal a public act of dissent rather than a private choice.

Symbolic baggage matters

For many, especially those from communities harmed by colonial history, being recognised “in the name of the Empire” carries uncomfortable connotations. The recognition of service is welcome, but the framing feels misaligned or even offensive.

Because of these factors, recipients often face an unspoken dilemma: accept and be linked to an institution they may not support, or decline and risk appearing ungrateful. That pressure is why some critics compare the system to blackmail—not in the literal legal sense, but as a way of capturing the feeling of conditional reward.

Who has rejected an Honour?

There are many heroes who have stood their ground and said “no” to complicity with an unjust system.

Benjamin Zephaniah – Declined an OBE in 2003.

“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 me of thousands of years of brutality.”

Ken Loach – The acclaimed film director, known for I, Daniel Blake, turned down an OBE.

“It’s all the establishment, isn’t it? Everything that’s wrong with the country is embodied in that system.”

Michael Sheen – Returned his OBE in 2020 after researching the history of Wales.

“I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. I’ve spoken out about the nature of the relationship between Wales and the British state, so it felt wrong to hold on to it.”

What could change?

Reforms are possible: renaming awards to drop “Empire,” offering low-profile or non-royal ceremonies, and making declining honours more routine and stigma-free. These adjustments would keep the spirit of recognition alive while removing the sense of forced consent.

Call to action

Write to your MP and demand changes to the Honours system.

So many people deserve recognition, they should not be forced to associate with hereditary privilege to obtain it.