Queen Elizabeth Turned Down the Nobel Peace Prize: “Thank You, But No Thank You”

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During her remarkable 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to public service, and that included strengthening the Commonwealth of Nations. While many have wondered why the late monarch never won a Nobel Peace Prize, it turns out there’s a very good reason.

The Daily Mail reported that “a senior courtier” told the outlet that Queen Elizabeth “didn’t want the honor.”

“While candidates don’t have to be consulted, Buckingham Palace was approached on more than one occasion by Commonwealth leaders ‘for guidance’ on nominating Her Majesty,” columnist Ephraim Hardcastle wrote, adding, “They were politely told, ‘Thank you, but no thank you.'”

Queen Elizabeth dedicated her life to service.

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As a 21-year-old Elizabeth said in a famous speech before she became Queen, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.” Perhaps the idea of being recognized for simply doing her job was something Queen Elizabeth felt uncomfortable with, especially if it came to taking away the honor from someone else.

Throughout her reign, her focus was always on the collective good—on building bridges and fostering cooperation, not on accumulating titles or accolades for herself.

However, that didn’t mean that the public—and government officials—didn’t launch a campaign to try and snag Queen Elizabeth a nomination.

Per People, there was such a strong sentiment for Queen Elizabeth to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 that the Telegraph reported that the matter would likely be discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which was held shortly after the article was published.

The Queen, seen here in a 2017 photo, passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96.

(Image credit: Getty Images)
A source told the publication that Queen Elizabeth’s potential nomination was “being discussed by different high commissioners,” adding, “They want to nominate her for what she has done for the Commonwealth.”

Another source told the Telegraph, “If someone nominates her and she is successful, I think the whole country would be thrilled to bits and consider her fully deserving.”

As for Queen Elizabeth’s thoughts on the matter, perhaps she wrote about it in her diary. Her final journal entry was recently revealed in Robert Hardman’s book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, and it was written just two days before she died in September 2022.

While her five-word entry wasn’t about the Nobel Peace Prize, it did refer to her final public duty, appointing Liz Truss as prime minister. At the end of the day, she carried out her work until the very end, and this was The Queen’s true legacy—not a prize.