Ariana Grande ‘turns down Damehood’ out of respect for Manchester terror attack victims

The singer didn’t want to accept the honour so soon after the attack

Ariana Grande

by Nathan Katnoria |
Updated on

Ariana Grande has reportedly turned down the offer of a Damehood from the Queen in order to respect the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack and their families.

After the horrific attack at her concert in May last year, Ariana returned to Manchester to visit her injured fans in hospital and organised the One Love Manchester charity gig.

Ariana Grande on stage
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Her response to the ordeal is thought to have lead to her being offered the honour, which she ‘politely declined’.

“Ariana was flattered but said it was too soon,” a source told The Sun.

They added: “She explained she was still grieving. So were scores of families. She feared some affected might see it as insensitive. The committee wrote to her but she politely said no.”

GALLERY: Ariana Grande's complete dating history

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Ariana Grande's relationship timeline: Her complete dating history SLIDER heat

Ariana Grande and Graham Phillips1 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Graham Phillips (2008-2011)

Ariana and Graham met at 15 years old when they were both starring in the Broadway production of 13: The Musical. They dated for three years and released a song called Stick Around together in 2010. Ari continued the trend of duetting with partners later in her career, but more on that later.Is he on thank u, next? Nah, mate.

Ariana Grande and Jai Brooks2 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Jai Brooks (2012-2014)

Ariana dated Jai Brooks - a member of Australian prank-pop band The Janoskians - between 2012 and 2014. Things didn't end on good terms, though; as Jai accused Ariana of cheating on him with The Wanted's Nathan Sykes very publicly on Twitter. Ariana denied the claims, before the pair briefly got back together for a couple of months in 2014.Is he on thank u, next? Nope.

Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes3 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes (2014)

Following that Jai Brooks drama, Ari and Nathan got together as they collaborated on the track Almost is Never Enough; taken from her debut album. The pair split just months later, with many reports claiming Ari wrote Break Your Heart Right Back about the split.The pair are still on good terms and released a second duet - Over and Over Again - in 2016.Is he on thank u, next? No, but he's fine with it. In an interview with TMZ Nathan explained it's 'good' he didn't get a mention, whatever that means.

Ariana Grande and Big Sean4 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Big Sean (2014-2015)

Ariana and Big Sean made their public debut on the GRAMMY red carpet in 2015. Much like Nathan and Ari, the pair have two duets together; 2013's Right There and 2014's Best Mistake. The couple reportedly split due to busy schedules, but they remain 'good friends' and Ari confirmed he heard thank u, next ahead of its release.Is he on thank u, next? Yep, the opening line 'thought I'd end up with Sean, but it wasn't a match' is about him.

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez5 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez (2015-2016)

Following her split from Big Sean Ariana dated one of her dancers, Ricky Alvarez, for a year. He's the guy she's hanging out with in that infamous doughnut shop video, remember? Neither party have explained the cause of the split, but they remain on good terms.Is he on thank u, next? Yup. The line 'wrote some songs about Ricky, now I listen and laugh' refers to many tracks on her 2016 album Dangerous Woman; including Knew Better/Forever Boy. He's cool with it, though; taking to his Instagram story to praise both Ariana and the track.

Ariana Grande and Mac Miller6 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Mac Miller (2016-2018)

Ariana dated the late Mac Miller (real name Malcolm McCormick) from 2016-2018. The pair originally collaborated on her debut single The Way back in 2013 and released another track - My Favourite Part - in 2016. Mac famously supported Ariana at her One Love Manchester concert in 2017 following the Manchester Arena terror attack and split earlier this year after she debuted No Tears Left to Cry at Coachella.Mac tragically passed away on 7th September 2018, and Ariana has since paid tribute to the rapper.Is he on thank u, next? Ariana describes Mac as an 'angel' on the track in a fitting tribute to the late star.

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson7 of 8
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Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson (2018)

Ariana and SNL comedian Pete Davidson proved the whirlwind romance of 2018. Just weeks after getting together, the pair announced their engagement in June 2018. The pair split in October 2018 but remain on good terms.Pete addressed their break-up on SNL, saying: "The truth is, it's nobody's business. Sometimes things just don't work out. She's a wonderful strong person and I wish her all the happiness in the world."Is he on thank u, next? Yep. 'Even almost got married, and for Pete I'm so thankful' is obviously about their whirlwind romance.

Ariana Grande8 of 8
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Herself. YAAAS.

In thank u, next Ariana serves some unapologetic feminism as she claims she's now in a relationship with herself. YAS, queen.

Another source close to the singer said: “She was deeply moved and honoured. She didn’t decline it as such but explained it was not the right time to accept.”

The One Love Manchester benefit concert, organised and hosted by Ariana just weeks after the attack, included performances from some of the music industry’s biggest stars including Little Mix, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber, and raised over £2million during it’s broadcast.

It’s since been revealed that a total of £18.5 million was donated to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, with each of the 22 families affected receiving £260,000.

Ariana was made an honorary citizen of Manchester following her fundraising efforts and also got a tattoo of a worker bee – the symbol of Manchester – inked on her. She revealed the tattoo on Instagram earlier this year to commemorate the one year anniversary of the bombing.

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