The Queen has stripped disgraced former entertainer Rolf Harris of the CBE honour that she previously bestowed upon him, following his conviction for child sex offences.
An announcement was placed in the London Gazette – The United Kingdom’s official publication of public record, that read the following:
“The Queen has directed that the appointment of Rolf Harris to be a Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 17 June 2006, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.”
Former children’s entertainer Rolf, 84, was sentenced to five years and nine months jail in July last year after he was found guilty of 12 indecent assault charges on four girls as young as seven, dating back almost half a century.
“You took advantage of the trust placed in you because of your celebrity status,” Justice Sweeney, the Judge who sentenced him, said at the time.
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The decision to revoke an honour in such a manner must be personally approved by the Queen. If an honoured person has committed a criminal offence, the recommendation is usually put forward by honours and appointments secretariat to the forfeiture committee, but it is Her Majesty who must ultimately sign it off.
Rolf Harris previously attained immense popularity in the UK, as a musician, a children’s entertainer and an artist. He even previously painted an official portrait of the Queen for her 80th birthday in 2005, attending two private sittings with her at Buckingham Palace.
He was originally with the CBE, or Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, the year following the painting of the portrait, in 2006, and has attended multiple royal functions and galas with members of the royal family.
Now locked away in prison for his monstrous crimes, the British establishment has turned their back on the disgraced former entertainer, with this official stripping of the CBE officially sealing the deal.
