Former Smiths singer Morrissey has "politely declined" an invitation from Channel 4 to record an alternative Christmas Day television message. 

MorrisseyMorrissey released his latest album, World Peace Is None Of Your Business, earlier this year

An alternative Christmas message has been broadcast by Channel 4 since 1993, with the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Oliver, Marge and Lisa Simpson and Katie Piper taking up the mantle, however, speaking on fan-site True To You, Morrissey said he would not be joining the list.

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His statement read: "My view that the monarchy should be quietly dismantled for the good of England is reasonably well-known, but I don't think Christmas Day is quite the time to be trading slaps."

"The Queen should be allowed the impassioned trance of her annual address to the British people, if only to once again prove that, in her frozen posture, she has nothing to offer and nothing to say," he added.

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One of Britain's most famous and fervent anti-monarchists, Morrissey has in the past likened the Queen's position at the head of the Royal family as similar to that of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. 

At the singer's recent O2 Arena show, Morrissey entered the stage in front of a photo-shopped image of the Queen showing both of her middle fingers. The image then switched to a photo of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge captioned with the phrase "United King-dumb".

Last year's Channel 4 Christmas message was delivered by the NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden. 

Update: According to a Channel 4 spokesperson, Morrissey was never offered the opportunity to perform the alternative speech: "We are not aware of any approach having been made to Morrissey to deliver Channel 4's Alternative Christmas message."

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