Artist Damien Hirst last night revealed that he turned down the offer of a knighthood because he did not feel comfortable accepting the honour.
In a rare interview, Britain’s richest artist disclosed how he was ‘sounded out’ for the top award by investment banker and arts patron Jacob Rothschild.
But after consulting his friend and art dealer Jay Jopling, Hirst declined, saying: ‘I never felt comfortable with the idea.’
Reportedly worth £308 million, Hirst forged the Young British Artist (YBA) art scene of the 1990s and shot to fame after displaying sharks and other animals suspended in formaldehyde.
Once renowned for his wild partying, Hirst now has a one-year-old son Noah with his girlfriend of eight years Sophie Cannell, 31, a former ballerina.
