Elvis Costello has urged that the term "empire" be dropped from OBE honours, arguing the Royal Family's persistence in using it represents an "unforgivable" error.
The 71-year-old singer-songwriter, himself an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, claimed that maintaining the word constitutes a "big mistake" by the monarchy.
"Why don't they just change the name in OBE to 'excellence'? Then everybody could be happy," he suggested.
Mr Costello received his honour from King Charles during the 2019 Birthday Honours, recognised for his significant contributions to music throughout his career.
King Charles bestowing Elvis Costello his OBE in 2020
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The musician, who has Irish heritage, described the royal residence as "tatty" during his visit to collect the award.
"The Palace itself is tatty - I didn't lean on any pillars because I thought they may be papier mâché," he continued to tell the Sunday Times.
However, witnessing fellow recipients from fields such as education, charity and medicine softened his initially sceptical outlook.
He recalled a Marine standing behind him who fainted from the emotional weight of the occasion.
Elvis Costello's parents encouraged him to attend the ceremony specifically to 'look them in the eye'
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Following the investiture ceremony, Mr Costello spent time with Irish journalists, engaging in conversation about Sinn Féin while still inside Buckingham Palace.
His father, Ross MacManus, had performed at staff balls at Buckingham Palace during Mr Costello's childhood, entering through the servants' entrance alongside other workers.
"So I thought, this time I'm going in the front door. I went out of curiosity, sceptical and cynical," the singer explained.
Mr MacManus was an accomplished musician in his own right, performing with Joe Loss and his orchestra during the 1950s and later achieving television recognition through R. White's Lemonade advertisements in the 1970s.
The Princess of Wales greeting Elvis Costello in 2021
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Mr Costello's father held lifelong republican views and, along with the singer's mother, encouraged him to attend the ceremony specifically to "look them in the eye".
The 71-year-old is not the first musician to take issue with British honours.
John Lennon famously sent back his MBE in 1969 as a protest against the UK's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict and its backing of American military action in Vietnam.
Elvis Costello performing in 2024
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George Harrison turned down an OBE in 2000, while David Bowie declined a knighthood three years later.
"It's not what I spent my life working for," Mr Bowie told The Sun at the time.
When Mr Costello accepted his honour in 2019, he acknowledged his ambivalence, stating it "confirms my long-held suspicion nobody really listens to the words in songs".