John Lennon’s Son Reacted to His Dad’s ‘Rude’ Letter to Queen Elizabeth II
John Lennon‘s son Sean Ono Lennon once described his father’s song “Cold Turkey” as a quintessential track in the former Beatle’s catalog. Beyond the song’s musical merits, it also represents John Lennon’s rebellious spirit, political activism, and sense of humor to his son.
To explain, Sean Ono Lennon recalled how his father referenced “Cold Turkey” in an iconic letter the British musician sent to Queen Elizabeth II. What some may have seen as a rude gesture was just John being John.
John Lennon’s son revealed his thoughts on the song ‘Cold Turkey’
According to a 2020 article in Rolling Stone, Sean worked on a compilation album of his father’s work titled Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes. Sean discussed the inclusion of “Cold Turkey” on the compilation. “I really feel like this song has been an anchor for the whole project, the Gimme Some Truth 80th-anniversary compilation, [is] because he wrote that letter to the Queen of England returning the Member of the British Empire, the MBE,” Sean said.
The MBE is an honor given to British people who have made a high contribution to their country outside of civil service. By that definition, John Lennon was more than worthy of the title. But John wasn’t keen on keeping the honor.
“And in that letter, he says, ‘I am returning the MBE in protest of Britain’s involvement in Vietnam, and ‘Cold Turkey’ slipping down the charts,'” Sean recalled.
Sean Ono Lennon thought the letter probably didn’t offend Queen Elizabeth II
Sean was a fan of this letter. “I always felt like that was so funny and so great,” he opined. “And when we were trying to figure out how to represent or show the best part of my dad’s personality and his whole ethos, I was thinking about that letter as the message.”
Sean didn’t think his father offended Queen Elizabeth II with his letter. “From a cultural level, it was dangerous to be rude to the Queen,” Sean said. “It’s something that was considered unthinkable, but he does it in such a nice way, in such a fun way. I can’t speak for the Queen, but I can imagine she wasn’t really offended.”
Yoko Ono refused an offer to return John Lennon’s MBE
John Lennon’s letter to Queen Elizabeth was largely a symbolic one. Returning or refusing the MBE wasn’t exactly an option for Lennon.
Instead, the British monarchy held onto the award until a butler discovered it years later. But Yoko Ono refused the palace’s offer to return the honor to her family.
So they just put it in a drawer, and years later, they actually offered it to my mom because someone had found it,” Sean Lennon said. “Like a butler was just cleaning up, as one does in the palace. They asked my mom if she wanted it and she said, ‘He gave it back, so I don’t want to go against his desire or his intention.’ So she also didn’t take it back.”
Ono’s decision further proves the shared ideology that Sean says existed between his parents. “My mom’s a rebel too, I guess. I would have been like, ‘Sure! Thank you! I’m sorry we were a bit rude, but, you know my dad!’ But that’s me.”
