A Knight Like This? Watch An Unearthed Interview With The Cure’s Robert Smith Taking Down the Monarchy

The Cure’s iconic frontman, Robert Smith, has never been one to shy away from expressing his opinions. A recently resurfaced interview from 2012 with French publication Telerama.fr showcases Smith’s unabashedly candid views on the British monarchy and the concept of hereditary privilege, which he finds repugnant given his punk roots.

During one section of the clip, Smith passionately declares:

“Any kind of hereditary privilege, it’s just wrong! It’s not just anti-democracy; it’s just inherently wrong.”

Smith doesn’t hold back as he continues:

“What upsets me is that some people who I’ve actually admired down the years get offered a reward by the royal family, by the hereditary monarchy, and they take it, and they become Lord or Sir… and you think like…

Honestly, if I ever accepted, and I’m never going to get one, I would honestly cut off my own hands before I did that because how dare they presume that they could give me an honour.

I’m much better than them. They’ve never done anything, they’re f****** idiots.”

Catch the full interview below, where Smith offers his unfiltered thoughts on the Monarchy. The conversation begins around the 6-minute mark in the “Culture” section: