Saturday 12 June 1965 | Press Conference | Twickenham Film Studios, Twickenham, England
On Saturday 12 June 1965, as news outlets went into overdrive following the announcement that The Beatles were to be awarded MBEs (Members of the Order of the British Empire), a press conference was hastily convened at Twickenham Film Studios, where the group had been watching a rough edit of their new film Help! At 1.30pm, all four Beatles appeared before 150 reporters at the studios ā though John Lennon arrived 70 minutes late, having missed the film screening entirely. He had been in bed and had to be fetched from his home in Weybridge by Brian Epstein.
The announcement that The Beatles were to receive MBEs had been made as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List. It was a decision that would prove deeply controversial ā attracting widespread criticism from previous recipients who felt the honour had been devalued ā but the press conference itself was a masterclass in the group's wit, irreverence, and collective charm under pressure.
The Press Conference
The exchange between The Beatles and the assembled press on 12 June 1965 is one of the most entertaining on record. John Lennon opened by explaining his late arrival:
I set the alarm for eight o'clock and then I just laid there. I thought, 'Well, if anyone wants me, they'll phone me.' The phone went lots of times, but that's the one I never answer. My own phone didn't go at all, so I just laid there.
ā John Lennon
George Harrison explained how the group had first learned of the honour:
Paul was looking through the pile of fan mail in our dressing room a few weeks back and he came across this envelope that had 'From the Prime Minister' written on it. It must have been there at least a couple of days. He opened it and the letter said that he was being considered for an award and would he sign the enclosed form. We all said, 'We wish we had one,' then dived through the rest of the mail and found that we did have one ā one each!
ā George Harrison
Paul McCartney offered his own interpretation of the initials:
We thought that MBE stood for Mr Brian Epstein, because we always sign his contracts, because he's our manager.
ā Paul McCartney
When asked why they had been honoured, Ringo Starr and John Lennon were characteristically direct:
Look at the dollars we've pulled in from America.
ā Ringo Starr
We've paid the government quite a bit in tax, don't you think?
ā John Lennon
On whether they deserved the awards:
It's not up to us to say that. The Queen must have thought so, or she wouldn't have given them to us, would she?
ā George Harrison
On what they would do with their medals:
Hang it on the wall.
ā George Harrison
Tuck it around my neck.
ā Ringo Starr
Keep it in a safe place.
ā Paul McCartney
I think I'll have mine made into a bell push so that people have to press it when they come to the house or I'll take it to an antique dealer and find out what it is.
ā John Lennon
When asked whether Cliff Richard should also have received a medal:
Yes, a leather one with wooden strings.
ā George Harrison
And on Prime Minister Harold Wilson, whose government had recommended the honour:
We think of him what we always thought of him. He's a good lad.
ā George Harrison
How the MBE Announcement Was Made
The recommendation to award The Beatles MBEs had been made by Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the Labour MP for Huyton ā a Liverpool constituency ā who was acutely aware of the group's cultural and economic significance to Britain. The Beatles had been instrumental in reversing the flow of American cultural influence, generating enormous export earnings and projecting a new image of Britain to the world. Wilson's decision to include them in the Birthday Honours was a deliberate act of political modernisation.
The letter informing each Beatle that he was being considered for the honour had been sent to their management office weeks earlier ā and, as George Harrison revealed at the press conference, had sat unopened in a pile of fan mail for at least two days before Paul McCartney noticed the envelope marked 'From the Prime Minister'.
The Controversy
Harold Wilson may have calculated that awarding The Beatles MBEs would be a popular move, but it attracted widespread criticism ā particularly from previous recipients, some of whom returned their medals in protest. Among them was Hector Dupuis, a Canadian former MP, who complained at being "on the same level as vulgar nincompoops."
The controversy foreshadowed John Lennon's own decision to return his MBE in November 1969, in protest at Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict, the American war in Vietnam, and the poor chart performance of his single 'Cold Turkey'. His letter to the Queen read: "Your Majesty, I am returning this MBE in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against 'Cold Turkey' slipping down the charts. With love, John Lennon of Bag."
Twickenham Film Studios
Twickenham Film Studios in St Margaret's, Twickenham, had been the location for much of the filming of Help!, The Beatles' second feature film. The group had been at the studios on 12 June to watch a rough edit of the film when the MBE announcement broke. The studios would later become famous as the location for the January 1969 Get Back sessions, filmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and eventually released as the documentary Let It Be (1970) and, in expanded form, as Peter Jackson's Get Back (2021).
Key Facts: 12 June 1965
- Date: Saturday 12 June 1965
- Location: Twickenham Film Studios, Twickenham, England
- Event: MBE announcement press conference
- Press in attendance: 150 reporters
- Time: 1.30pm
- Lennon's arrival: 70 minutes late; fetched from Weybridge by Brian Epstein
- Reason for being at Twickenham: Watching a rough edit of Help!
- Recommended by: Prime Minister Harold Wilson
- Controversy: Several previous MBE recipients returned their medals in protest
Frequently Asked Questions
When were The Beatles awarded MBEs?
The Beatles were announced as recipients of MBEs (Members of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 1965. The announcement was made on 12 June 1965, and the investiture took place at Buckingham Palace on 26 October 1965.
Why were The Beatles given MBEs?
The recommendation was made by Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who recognised The Beatles' enormous cultural and economic contribution to Britain ā particularly their success in America, which had generated significant export earnings and projected a new image of Britain to the world.
Did John Lennon return his MBE?
Yes ā John Lennon returned his MBE in November 1969, in protest at Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict, American policy in Vietnam, and the poor chart performance of 'Cold Turkey'. His letter to the Queen cited all three reasons.
What did The Beatles say about their MBEs at the press conference?
The press conference on 12 June 1965 produced some of The Beatles' most memorable quotes. Ringo attributed the honour to "the dollars we've pulled in from America"; Paul joked that MBE stood for "Mr Brian Epstein"; George said he'd hang his on the wall; and John suggested having his made into a bell push.
Who criticised The Beatles' MBEs?
Several previous MBE recipients returned their medals in protest at The Beatles' inclusion in the honours. Among them was Hector Dupuis, a Canadian former MP, who objected to being "on the same level as vulgar nincompoops."
Why was John Lennon late to the MBE press conference?
John Lennon had been in bed at his home in Weybridge and had to be fetched by Brian Epstein. He arrived 70 minutes late, having missed the Help! film screening that the rest of the group had attended at Twickenham Film Studios that morning.
ā 12 June in Beatles History
ā John Lennon | Paul McCartney | George Harrison | Ringo Starr
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