When you are given an honour by the British government it can come in several forms. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry which was established on 4 June 1917 by, the then King, George V. There are five classes of the order in civil and military divisions; in increasing order of seniority, these are: Member (MBE), Officer (OBE), Commander (CBE), Knight Commander or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE) and Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE).

Joseph Corre, a leading lingerie entrepreneur in the guise of Agent Provocateur, refused to accept an MBE (Member of the British Empire) last week to the surprise of many.

He objects to what he calls Tony Blair’s “dishonest wars”, but makes clear: “My decision in no way reflects on my opinion of the Queen whom I respect and would be honoured to have as a customer.”

“I believe that the way and the methods with which Tony Blair took Britain to war in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside George Bush were dishonest. They were based on a lie,” says Corre.

However, his wife and business partner, Serena Rees was reportedly delighted to accept the MBE she was awarded. Let’s hope that this did not create friction between them.

Corre’s mother, grande dame of fashion Vivienne Westwood, was given an honour in 2006 by the Queen.

Read Corre’s article in the Independent explaining why he doesn’t want the MBE. The honour is one of many different types of honour that the Queen awards each year to those she feels are deserving of recognition.