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.
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5. Spending hours in the pub
We might not have as many as we once did, but Britain is still a nation of pub-lovers. Of course, we need to use our locals to keep it that way. If you are at the pub, one rule many people have pointed out you're duty-bound to follow is shouting 'wahey' whenever someone drops a glass. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard
6. Talking about the weather
Britons famously like nothing better than talking about the weather. It's the one subject guaranteed to get even strangers chatting to one another. We particularly love to point out how hot/cold/wet/dry it is for this time of year. | Getty Images Photo: E. Bacon/Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive
7. Fish and chips on a Friday
The old adage that if it's Friday, it must be fry day still rings true for many Britons. Fish and chips is a British institution, even if it is one we borrowed from the Portuguese. It may be facing competition from chicken tikka masala as our national dish, but it remains hugely popular. | Getty Images Photo: Romano Cagnoni
8. Being polite
This is another value many Britons pride themselves upon, yet we don't always demonstrate to the rest of the world on our travels. Most of us are taught from a young age to say please and thank you. Yet those are words too few of us bother to learn in the local lingo when heading off on holiday. | Getty Images Photo: Chris Ware/Keystone Features