Don’t ditch the word ‘empire’ – Dame Flo
CHILDREN’S TV star Floella Benjamin was made a dame yesterday – and became caught up in a debate over the use of the word ‘empire’ in the honours system.
The former Play School host spoke of the ‘wonderful feeling’ in her heart after receiving the honour from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
The 70-year-old – who had greeted Charles with a ‘namaste’ gesture instead of a handshake as a coronavirus precaution – was made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her charity work.
But after actress Thandie Newton and Labour leadership hopeful Lisa Nandy called for the term ‘empire’ to be axed, Dame Floella said it was important to understand its history.
She argued that King George V introduced the honour in 1917 not to celebrate Britain as a conquering power but to be more ‘inclusive’, saying: ‘George V said, “Why don’t we have an honour where it could be women honoured, become more inclusive, and more people across the British Empire would also be included, other countries”.’
Dame Floella said it was important to consider how to ‘modernise the word’ but added: ‘It is to be inclusive.’
Her comments came after Miss Newton, 47, backed Miss Nandy’s calls for the term to be removed from the honour.
Miss Newton – whose father is English and mother from Zimbabwe, formerly the British colony of Southern Rhodesia – was made an OBE for services to film and charity in 2018. The Westworld actress said that, while she was proud of the honour, she agreed the term empire was ‘outdated’.
Miss Nandy made her call to remove ‘empire’ from OBE honours last month, saying it ‘alienates’ people and doing away with the reference to Britain’s colonial past would make the country ‘different’.