Remembering When The Beatles Got the Official Stamp of Approval From Queen and Country in 1965

The Beatles unofficially conquered Great Britain with their music in their breakthrough year of 1963. They only solidified that standing over the next few years, reaching levels of popularity heretofore unknown to British artists.

In October 1965, the country decided to officially recognize the group’s contributions. They did so by bestowing upon them one of the highest honors they had to offer.

The Queen is Calling

The Beatles were cruising through another monumentally successful year in 1965 when they received the news. Each of the four men was going to be honored as Members of the British Empire at a ceremony in October.

This news caused quite a stir in Great Britain. Of course, just about every action that the Fab Four took was big news in England. But in this case, there was some negative press involved. Some staid members of British society didn’t feel that such an honorific should be leveled at mere pop stars.

In any case, The Beatles took the news gracefully and made clear just how special it was for them to be chosen. On October 28, 1965, they dutifully arrived at Buckingham Palace to accept their awards. Throngs of screaming fans cheered them on as they drove up in John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce.

Her Majesty’s Request

By all accounts, The Beatles handled their big day with aplomb. They dutifully followed the orders given them in terms of how they were meant to act around Queen Elizabeth II. Each of the four men made small talk with the Queen, whom Paul McCartney would later immortalize in a short, irreverent song on Abbey Road.

The men even had a chance to flash their famous sense of humor. When asked how long they’d known each other, McCartney and Ringo Starr, in unison, told the Queen that they’d been acquaintances for 40 years.

After it was all over, the four men gave a press conference where they recounted their experiences. The hullabaloo about them getting the honor soon was overlooked in favor of other events of the day. But John Lennon couldn’t help stirring them up a few years down the line.

Lennon Has a Smoke

Lennon famously (or infamously, depending on what you think about it) returned his MBE in 1969 in protest of the actions of the British government. To make matters worse, he later claimed in a Rolling Stone interview that The Beatles did something a bit scandalous on the day of their big honor:

“To start with, we wanted to laugh. But when it happens to you, when you are being decorated, you don’t laugh anymore. We, however, were giggling like crazy because we had just smoked a joint in the loos of Buckingham Palace; we were so nervous.”

In later years, other members of the group claimed that Lennon misremembered the incident. They claimed that the group had simply smoked normal cigarettes in the bathroom that day. However it happened. The Beatles making nice with the royals and the government only solidified their standing as the preeminent British group.

Photo by Barham/Tony Eyles/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

The post Remembering When The Beatles Got the Official Stamp of Approval From Queen and Country in 1965 appeared first on American Songwriter.