In the late sixties, John chose to use his unquestionable platform to make a series of statements about the current state of society, most of them championing a desire and need for world peace, and there was one iconic moment which would shake British culture.
Being awarded an honour by the Queen is about as high as praise can get in Britain. When John Lennon returned his in protest, the very foundations of the country were rumbled.
On October 26th, 1965, The Beatles, dressed in their usual suits, took to Buckingham Palace along with the rest of the award winners from that year’s Birthday Honours. “We thought being offered the MBE was as funny as everyone else thought it was,” John once recalled. “We all met and agreed it was daft…then it all just seemed part of the game we’d agreed to play.” Meeting the Queen is always nerve-wracking but, perhaps because of their newfound confidence, it seemed to matter little to the group. “She said to me, ‘Have you been working hard lately?’ And I couldn’t think what we had been doing so I said, ‘No, we’ve been having a holiday,'” John later recalled. “We’d been recording, but I couldn’t remember.”
On October 26th, 1965, The Beatles, dressed in their usual suits, took to Buckingham Palace along with the rest of the award winners from that year’s Birthday Honours. “We thought being offered the MBE was as funny as everyone else thought it was,” John once recalled. “We all met and agreed it was daft…then it all just seemed part of the game we’d agreed to play.” Meeting the Queen is always nerve-wracking but, perhaps because of their newfound confidence, it seemed to matter little to the group. “She said to me, ‘Have you been working hard lately?’ And I couldn’t think what we had been doing so I said, ‘No, we’ve been having a holiday,'” John later recalled. “We’d been recording, but I couldn’t remember.”
After years of struggling to align his values with that of the British government and larger ruling bodies, John decided enough was enough. On November 25th, 1969, John called a press conference to announce that he would be returning his MBE as a deliberate act of protest and promotion.
When asked during the press conference why he was returning his honour, the singer replied:
“As a protest against violence and war, especially Britain’s involvement in Biafra, which most of the British public aren’t aware of.” “All the press, TV and radios, slant all the news on Biafra,” John continued, “All the stuff I learned on Biafra from journalists, off the cuff, folks, is a different story and I began to be ashamed to be British. I’m a patriotic nationalist, Yoko can vouch for that — I’m always talking about Britain invented radar and all the things we’ve done. But, every day, I began to worry a bit more about it. I was gonna send the MBE back anyway, I could’ve done it privately but the press would have found out anyway, you would’ve been here a week later, instead. Less impact.”
John Lennon sent back his medal, the one which the band are wearing on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP, with a note, a transcription of which you can read below. It was sent directly to both the Prime Minister and her majesty the Queen. He was always determined to ensure that his very public protest was given maximum exposure.
“Your Majesty,
“I am returning my MBE as a 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.
“With love.
“John Lennon of Bag.”
“Your Majesty,
“I am returning my MBE as a 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.
“With love.
“John Lennon of Bag.”
Watch a short clip from the press conference of John returning his MBE,November 1969: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ0uoTyNu6Y
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