Celebs who rejected British royal honors
Alan Cumming opens up about returning British OBE honor: "It's complex, it's not a black or white thing"
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CELEBRITY Honors system
Under the British honors system, individuals are awarded on merit for exceptional achievement or service. The system has been around for centuries and for many people the prospect of becoming a knight, dame, CBE, OBE, or MBE still represents the height of achievement.
There are several individuals, however, who have rejected an offer from the monarch to receive an honor. For a long time rejections often went under the radar and the reasons that people declined the offers were not known. However, in 2012 the British government was forced to release a list of all those individuals who turned down honors before 2000.
And even in 2023, the honors are being returned. Scottish actor Alan Cumming announced his decision to return his Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire honor, which he'd received back in 2009, on his birthday on January 27. Speaking to People, Cumming noted that the reaction has been "incredible" and that "It's been really positive. People really understood why it's complicated, it's complex, it's not a black or white thing." He added, "I think times are changing and things change, and you change how you feel about something."
Cumming was presented the honor by the late Queen Elizabeth II as recognition for his acting work and LGBTQ+ rights campaigning particularly in the US, but the honor has since soured from a source of pride to stain in history. In a post on Instagram he explained why he returned his OBE: "The Queen's death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes. Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire)." He continued, "So I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I'm now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!"
Check out this gallery to find out which famous faces rejected the Royal honors (for one reason or another).
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