JK Rowling admitted yesterday that she turned down both a peerage and a damehood because she ‘never wanted a title’.
The Harry Potter author confirmed she had turned down both awards on social media after a campaign was launched to honor her.
One user shared a photo of Rowling and wrote: ‘I’ve set a goal of 30,000 likes from people who think JK Rowling deserves to be a Dame.’
The post has since racked up 56,000 likes.
Rowling replied: ‘I really appreciate the sentiment, but in fact I have already rejected both a damehood and a peerage. This is for entirely personal reasons, i.e. I never wanted a title. But thanks anyway x.”
In October, the 59-year-old author announced that she had twice declined a peerage, stating that she “would not accept it” if it was offered again.
The statement came after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch (then a Tory leadership candidate) suggested that Rowling should be given a title of nobility in recognition of her outspoken stance on gender issues.
Rowling also revealed on X that she had turned down offers for a seat in the House of Lords from both the Labor and Conservative governments.
“If I offered one a third time, I still wouldn’t take it,” she wrote.
JK Rowling admitted yesterday that she turned down both a peerage and a damehood because she ‘never wanted a title’. Pictured: JK Rowling attends the world premiere of ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore’ in 2022
The statement came after Kemi Badenoch, pictured, leader of the Conservative Party (then a Tory leadership candidate), suggested Rowling should be given a title of nobility in recognition of her outspoken stance on gender issues.
Speaking to Talk TV, Ms Badenoch praised Rowling’s advocacy for women, saying: ‘I would definitely give her a title of nobility.’
She added that both Rowling and pediatrician Dr Hilary Cass – who conducted a review into the NHS gender identity services – deserved “protection”, noting they had been “relentlessly” attacked for their views.
Rowling, a mother of three, has achieved huge success with the Harry Potter series, which has sold more than 600 million copies worldwide.
The franchise, which includes films, video games, a spin-off film trilogy and a TV series launching next summer, has generated significant revenue for Britain and cemented Rowling’s status as one of the most successful authors of all time.
The 2024 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling’s fortune at £945 million, making her the 175th richest person in the United Kingdom.
Rowling, a philanthropist, has donated more than £100 million to various charities.
She founded the Volant Charitable Trust, which focuses on social deprivation among at-risk women, children and young people, and founded Lumos, a charity committed to ending the institutionalization of children.
Since 2013, Lumos has been working with an orphanage west of Kiev, Ukraine.
In 2022, during her campaign against the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, Rowling announced the creation of Beira’s Place, a women-only rape crisis center in Edinburgh.
The center, which provides free support to survivors of sexual violence, does not admit trans women.