In October 1965, on the initiative of Britain’s freshly elected Labour government, the Beatles visited Buckingham Palace to receive MBEs from prime minister Harold Wilson. Though surprisingly controversial, the gesture had a certain obvious political logic: if Wilson hoped to become the standard bearer for a “New Britain” and align his party with the emerging ’60s zeitgeist, what better way than to bequeath the Order of the British Empire on Liverpool’s favorite sons? Reflecting on the awards, however, none other than Tony Benn — then Minister for the Post Office in Wilson’s cabinet — was doubtful about the wisdom of the move.

“I read yesterday that the Beatles had been given MBEs. No doubt Harold did this to be popular and I expect it was popular,” Benn would write in his diary, continuing:

But the plain truth is that the Beatles have done far more for the royal family by accepting MBEs than the royal family have done for the Beatles by giving them. Nobody goes to see the Beatles because they’ve got MBEs but the royal family loves the idea that the honors list is popular because it all helps to buttress them and indirectly their influence is used to strengthen all the forces of conservatism in society.