Elvis Costello has called for the word 'Empire' to be removed from the titles of OBE awards.
The musician, who is an OBE, said the royal family had made a "big mistake" by continuing to include the word in its honours list, calling it "inexcusable".
«"Why don't they just rename the Order of the British Empire the Distinguished Service Order? Then everyone would be happy," he told The Sunday Times.
Costello, 71, was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the then Prince of Wales for his services to music in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 2019.
While accepting the award, the Irish-born musician described Buckingham Palace as "shabby" and said he discussed Sinn Fein, the Irish republican political party, after the ceremony.
He added that he attended the ceremony to "look them [the royal family] in the eye.".
Elvis Costello remains in top form, as he can be seen in this photo from his performance at Carnegie Hall in New York last March – Noam Galai/Getty
The singer told the newspaper: "When I was a kid, my dad [Ross McManus] played a ball for the Buckingham Palace staff, and we had to go in through the back door with the staff. So I thought, 'This time I'll go through the front door.' I went out of curiosity, skepticism, and cynicalness.".
His father was a talented musician who played with Joe Loss and His Orchestra in the 1950s and rose to television fame in the 1970s performing "Secret Lemonade Drinker" in an R. White's Lemonade commercial.
Costello continued: "The palace itself was dilapidated—I didn't lean on any of the columns because I thought they were papier-mâché. But when I saw how much it meant to people working in education, charity, and medicine, I thought I could use a little less cynical. The Marine behind me fainted from the emotion I was feeling.".
«"After that, I was talking to the Irish press, so I was at the palace discussing Sinn Féin. My father would have loved that. He was a staunch republican and would have advised me to go, as my mother had done, just so I could look them in the eye.".
«"But their main mistake… is that what they represent by the word 'empire' is unforgivable. Why don't they just change the name of the Order of the British Empire to 'excellence'? Then everyone would be happy.".
In 2019, Costello said he was "thrilled" to be nominated for the award by Theresa May, then Prime Minister, saying it "confirmed my long-held suspicions that no one actually listens to the words in songs.".
In a blog post on his website, the singer wrote that his two grandfathers were soldiers who served during World War II, explaining: "In memory of these two British soldiers, and because my mother told me to, I can proudly accept this award.".
In an interview with The Telegraph in 2022, Costello said he performed at the Royal Variety Performance in memory of his father, who had died the previous year.
«"I was there to honor his memory. It's no secret that I don't have strong royalist feelings," he said. "My father sang 'If I Had a Hammer' about the dignity of labor because he was a working man all his life.".
Other musicians who declined British awards included John Lennon, who returned his MBE in 1969 in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict and US support for Vietnam. George Harrison declined his OBE in 2000.
In 2003, David Bowie turned down a knighthood, telling The Sun newspaper: "It's not what I've worked for all my life.".
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