Royal officials are urged to avoid 'virtue signalling' to anti-monarchists amid plans to give OBE recipients the option to drop the word 'empire' from awards

Palace officials must avoid ‘virtue signalling’ to anti-monarchists by giving honours recipients the chance to drop the word ‘empire’, senior Tories said last night. A new biography of the King revealed plans to drop the word 'empire' from British honours Ian Wright, from London, broadcaster and author, is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, London In the past, several recipients, including Benjamin Zephaniah, have turned down the honour because of the word ‘empire’ Actor Alan Cumming is among stars who have returned honours. ‘I would say to the Palace officials thinking of this, stop trying to virtue signal to those who anyway dislike the monarchy, leave well alone.’ Ex-Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said: ‘Some honours - for example, the Star of India or the Order of St Patrick, the Irish equivalent of the Garter, are no longer awarded and in that way the honours system evolves. ‘A Royal Elizabethan order modelled on the Royal Victorian order is an attractive idea but bowdlerising the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is not.’ Any alteration to the honours system would be down to Sir Keir Starmer's government The OBE Medal - The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry, the OBE signifies an Officer of the Order When asked about the honours proposal, a No 10 source said: ‘We would not discuss any conversations with the Palace under any circumstances’.