Harry Potter author JK Rowling turned down both a peerage and a damehood - because she 'never wanted a title'

JK Rowling yesterday admitted she has turned down both a peerage and a damehood because she 'never wanted a title'.

The Harry potter author confirmed she had declined both honours on social media after a campaign was started to see her honoured.

One user shared a photo of Rowling, writing: 'I've set a target of 30K likes from people who think that JK Rowling deserves to be a Dame.'

The post has since garnered 56,000 likes.

Rowling replied: 'I really, truly appreciate the sentiment but in fact I've already turned down both a damehood and a peerage. This is for entirely personal reasons, ie, I've never wanted a title. Thank you, though x.'

In October, the 59-year-old author disclosed she had refused a peerage on two separate occasions and stated she 'wouldn't take it' if offered again.

The statement came after Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party (then a Tory leadership candidate), suggested Rowling should receive a peerage in recognition of her outspoken stance on gender issues.

Rowling also revealed on X that she had turned down offers of a seat in the House of Lords from both Labour and Conservative governments.

'If offered one a third time, I still wouldn't take it,' she wrote.

Speaking to Talk TV, Ms Badenoch praised Rowling's advocacy for women, saying: 'I certainly would give her a peerage.'

She added that both Rowling and paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass - who conducted a review of NHS gender identity services - deserved 'protection,' noting they had been 'attacked relentlessly' for their views.

Rowling, a mother of three, has achieved enormous success with the Harry Potter series, which has sold over 600 million copies worldwide.

The franchise, which includes films, video games, a spin-off film trilogy and a TV series set to begin shooting next summer, has generated significant revenue for the UK and cemented Rowling's status as one of the most successful authors of all time.

The 2024 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £945 million, placing her as the 175th-richest person in the UK.

A philanthropist, Rowling has donated over £100 million to various causes.

She established the Volant Charitable Trust, which addresses social deprivation among at-risk women, children and youth, and founded Lumos, a charity working to end the institutionalisation of children.

Since 2013, Lumos has collaborated with an orphanage west of Kyiv, Ukraine.

In 2022, during her campaign against the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, Rowling announced the creation of Beira's Place, a women-only rape crisis centre in Edinburgh.

The centre, which provides free support to survivors of sexual violence, does not admit trans women.