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.
9. Not talking about sex
No sex please, we're British is a famous 70s film inspired by our reluctance to talk about carnal affairs. We may not like to talk about sex, but that prudery doesn't extend to reading about sex. When the ban on Lady Chatterley's Lover was lifted in 1960, copies of D. H. Lawrence's famously saucy novel quickly sold out, as this photo shows. | Getty Images Photo: Durrant/Daily Express
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10. Loving your pets
Britain is a nation of pet-lovers, with dogs just edging out cats in the numbers game. We love to pamper our pooches, and when it's time to vote, political debate comes second to posting photos with the #dogsatpollingstations hashtag. | Getty Images Photo: Paul Fievez/BIPS/Hulton Archive
11. Being eccentric
Britons may be famously reserved,but we love an eccentric. From madcap inventors to the birdmen and women who launch themselves off the nation's piers in crazy contraptions each summer, there are plenty of them. They often take the limelight at the general election, with famous examples being Count Binface and Screaming Lord Sutch, pictured, who created the Monster Raving Loony Party. | Getty Images Photo: Express Newspapers
12. Self-deprecating humour
The rest of the world might think Britons are a bit full of themselves, and that may be true, but we've always prided ourselves on our self-deprecating humour. From Eric and Ernie to Alan Partridge, we've never been afraid to make ourselves the butt of the joke. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive