Bernie Ecclestone, the 90-year-old former chief executive of the Formula One Group, has stated he would 'absolutely' decline a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II if offered one today. Ecclestone claims he was offered the honour in the 1990s but turned it down, expressing his disapproval of the honours system.
In an interview on 'In Depth with Graham Bensinger', Ecclestone explained his reasoning, saying that historically knighthoods were awarded for significant contributions to England, such as capturing a country. He felt he did not deserve such an honour, as he believed his actions were for personal gain rather than for the country. 'Anything I did, I did for myself, not for England,' he said, adding that if England benefited, it was incidental.
Ecclestone also made headlines this week for his comments on anti-racism gestures in Formula One. He stated that if he were still in charge, he would have banned drivers from taking a knee or wearing anti-racism t-shirts on the podium. He claimed Lewis Hamilton was 'being used' by the Black Lives Matter movement, a statement that drew criticism from Hamilton, who previously labelled Ecclestone 'ignorant and uneducated'.
Separately, Ecclestone's daughter Petra criticised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for their interviews following their departure from royal duties, accusing them of seeking publicity despite claiming to want privacy.
