Royal Watch News

Queen Elizabeth's opposes Empire plans

Sep 3, 2012, 12:02 GMT

Queen Elizabeth

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will reportedly resist any attempts to remove the word 'Empire' from awards such as the OBE or CBE.

A campaign is underway - which is supported by the Labour party - to replace 'Empire' with 'Excellence' in the titles of the honours because it was a 'jingoistic relic' of Britain's colonial past.

However, the 86-year-old monarch is said to oppose any plans and believes the honours system should remain as it is, with any changes waiting until Prince Charles became King.

A source told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: 'I have been told that her view is, 'If it really must be changed, can you please wait until I am no longer Monarch?'.'

However a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: 'We have no comment on speculation as to Her Majesty's views on the continued inclusion of the word 'Empire' in the honours system.'

Bernard Jenkin, Tory MP and chairman of the Commons Public Administration Select Committee, which investigated the honours system, said: 'If this is the Queen's view, it is perfectly understandable.

'An Order of the British excellence sounds wet and is the kind of thing that must make her heart sink.

'It would have been unthinkable when she ascended the throne and would have had her father and grandfather spinning in their graves.'