Good Idea Gone Bad.
I don't think it's necessary to rehearse to the folks on here the endless list of worthless humanity that increasingly get awarded these gongs.
Gongs are in essence a great idea, - recognition for service and duty etc. Yes, of course, there will always be an element of arbitrariness to the process, but that's no reason to scrap it either. Whilst I am against the awarding of gongs based on the recipient being the 'last man standing', in the case of Brown, a good award is/was richly deserved, decades ago actually. When one contrasts Browns service - the risks - the long-term dedication et al - it makes the awarding of gongs to people merely on the basis of puerile celebrity seem positively obscene - and frankly, it is.
It Brown has indicated he'd not accept, that would be a great pity. Another such figure (and contemporary of Brown.) I knew well, would not have accepted either later in his life, but that was basically because it wasn't awarded when it was relevant. He felt that awarding it decades later, so that the establishment could cover their embarrassment - was 'Letting them off the hook'. Perhaps Brown feels the same.
What is 100% certain, is that Buckingham Palace need to oversee a complete overhaul, so that all Awards go to those who deserve them, not just overhyped 'celebrities'.