That hasn’t stopped countless politicians, who are equally famous for being slippery, from trying to define them over the years.
The official British values, as things stand, are respect for the rule of law, individual liberty, democracy, and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
But there are some intrinsically British values that politicians have for too long failed to acknowledge, from our fondness for queuing to our phenomenal tea-drinking capacity.
Below is a list of 13 alternative British values, each illustrated by a classic archive photo.
Our tongue-in-cheek list is inspired more by cliché and Reddit discussions than any provable facts.
Some are values upon which Britons have historically prided themselves, even if the rest of the world may disagree.
How many of these British ‘values’ do you agree with? If you enjoyed this article, you might like this look at some of the oddest place names in the UK, and their origins.
1. Queuing
Britons famously need no excuse to queue. It has even been described as a national pastime. People are pictured here queuing patiently for their daily loaf during a strike by bakery workers in December 1974. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive
2. Grabbing a bargain
Britain has famously been described as a nation of shopkeepers, but it could perhaps be more accurately described as a nation of bargain-hunters. We'll go to extraordinary lengths to save the smallest amount of money, knowing it's worth it for that smug sense of self-satisfaction alone. We'll happily queue for hours for the Christmas sales, but once we're through the doors, all rules go out of the window, as this photo of shoppers jostling for cut-price china in the 60s shows. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard
3. Drinking tea by the gallon
Britain is a nation of tea-lovers. Everyone has their own idea of what makes the perfect brew, but tell someone you don't drink tea, and you'll get the funniest looks. | Getty Images Photo: Fox Photos
4. Playing fair
Britons pride themselves on their sense of fair play, though the rest of the world doesn't always see us that way. If we feel someone's not playing by the rules, we're quick to point out 'that's not cricket'. But we've been known to bend the rules ourselves, even when it comes to cricket. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive