As an Englishman, I feel a need to respond to the accusation that we are all twits who dote on the monarchy. In 1994 I wrote an editorial declaring The Economist, of which I was then the editor, to be republican and arguing that the monarchy should be abolished. It is an anachronism from a past age of deference, and stands in the way of proper constitutional checks and balances. Lacking any legitimacy, it can no longer be a check itself.

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Personally, I find all knighthoods needlessly provocative: why should anyone be given the right to attach the word “sir” to their name, as if they were some kind of medieval warrior? (Memo to Queen Elizabeth: in the unlikely event you were thinking of including me in your next list, please press the delete button. But, Ma’am, “duke” I would consider…) Still, if my country is foolish enough to continue to hand out knighthoods, I cannot see how Salman Rushdie should be disqualified.

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