Queen Elizabeth politely declined to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to reports.

The late Queen was offered the chance to be nominated for the honour as a result of her efforts to transform and expand the Commonwealth, The Daily Mail reported.

This would have meant she could have won the Peace Prize, which is given to a nominee who has helped contribute to peace in society.

The prize is one of the awards requested to be set up by the inventor, entrepreneur and businessman Alfred Nobel after his death in 1896.

This is because he wanted his fortune to reward “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”

In his will, Nobel said that the Peace Prize specifically should go to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

While the late Queen could have had a chance of winning, which would have included a cash prize, she turned down the option of even being nominated.

A senior courtier said this is because she didn’t want the honour, with Buckingham Palace having been approached on more than one occasion by Commonwealth leaders ‘for guidance’ on nominating the late Queen.

According to the Daily Mail, they were politely told: “Thank you, but no thank you”.

Previous recipients of the peace prize include Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, each year.

The late Queen never received the award as per her request not to be nominated.