EXCLUSIVE: Royal Honors Blasted as 'Meaningless' As King Charles Goes on Title-Stripping Frenzy
Royal honors have been blasted as 'meaningless' amid King Charles' title purge.
March 12 2026, Published 7:11 p.m. ET
RadarOnline.com can reveal King Charles is being accused of reducing royal honors to "meaningless" tributes after stripping nine people of MBEs and OBEs in a single month – amid the monarch's decision to strip his younger brother Andrew Windsor of his royal titles.
Charles, 77, has ordered the removal of the nine honors from recipients of the Order of the British Empire this month alone, according to notices published in the U.K.'s official public record The Gazette.
King Charles Strips Honors From Multiple Recipients
King Charles is facing criticism over a wave of revoked royal honors.
The revocations typically occur when a recipient has been convicted of a crime, found guilty of misconduct or disciplined by a professional regulator. Among those losing an honor is former Scotland rugby star Stuart Hogg, whose MBE was cancelled after he admitted to abusive behavior toward his estranged wife, Gillian.
The notice published in The Gazette sets out the formal removal of Hogg's distinction.
The record states: "The King has directed that the appointment of Stuart William Hogg to be a Member of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 30 December 2023, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order."
Hogg, who previously played for Glasgow Warriors and earned more than 100 caps for Scotland while also appearing on three British and Irish Lions tours, had been awarded the MBE in the 2024 New Year Honors for services to rugby.
However, the honor was revoked after he admitted to shouting, swearing, and acting abusively toward Gillian.
Debate Grows Over Value Of Royal Honors
Honors are typically revoked after criminal convictions or misconduct.
Royal insiders said the wave of removals has sparked debate about whether honors retain their value when they can be revoked so frequently.
One source familiar with the honors system told us: "When you see this many titles being cancelled in such a short time, it inevitably leads some people to ask whether the whole system begins to look a bit meaningless."
The source added the moves reflect Charles's increasingly hardline approach toward royal status and honors.
They said: "The King has shown he is willing to strip titles when he believes standards have been breached. We saw it when Andrew Windsor lost his royal titles and patronages, and now we are seeing the same strict attitude applied to the honors system."
Andrew Windsor Case Highlighted In Royal Policy
The approach mirrors his decision to strip Prince Andrew of royal roles.
Andrew, 66, was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages by his older brother Charles after a series of scandals linked to his relationship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein forced him from public royal life.
The decision left Windsor without the official roles and titles he once held as a senior member of the royal family.
Another royal observer said the latest string of honors cancellations illustrates Charles' desire to protect the reputation of royal distinctions.
They said: "There is a feeling that the King wants to demonstrate that honors cannot be kept if someone's conduct undermines the dignity of the award."
List Of Individuals Losing Honors Expands
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Others had awards annulled after professional disciplinary rulings.
Among the other individuals stripped of honors this month are Ian Ashbold, who received an MBE in 2016 before losing it due to a criminal conviction, Lloyd Hamilton, who received an MBE in 2011 and later had it revoked after a conviction, and Angela Middleton, who had her 2019 MBE annulled after being found to have brought the honors system into disrepute.
Nigel O'Connor, awarded an MBE in 2015, and Tony Reilly, who received an OBE in 2011, both had their honors removed following professional censure.
Paul Allen Rose, founder of Barrow's Owl Sanctuary in Cumbria, also had his MBE stripped after being convicted of animal welfare offenses. Rose was sentenced in May 2024 after pleading guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and one count of failing to ensure animal welfare under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Other recipients whose honors have been revoked include Anant Shah, who received an OBE in 2020 before it was annulled for bringing the honors system into disrepute, and Graham Trewhella, who received an MBE in 2010 and later lost it following a criminal conviction.
