Alan Cumming returns prestigious British royal award after 14 years
2023-01-27 20:08:38
TiranaPost
Alan Cumming has returned a prestigious royal award in an effort to break the link with what he calls the toxicity of the British Empire.
"Today is my 58th birthday and I want to tell you about something I did for myself recently. I returned my prize,” the Scottish actor said in an Instagram post on Friday.
The Officer of the British Empire (OBE) award is given to individuals who have made a positive impact in their field.
In the post, Cumming shared how fourteen years ago he was extremely grateful to receive her in the Queen's Birthday Honors list.
But Cumming said the death of Queen Elizabeth last September made him reflect.
"The Queen's death and the conversations that followed about the role of the monarchy and particularly how the British Empire benefited at the expense of indigenous peoples all over the world opened my eyes," the actor said.
“I returned the award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being awarded in the first place. Now I'm back to just being Alan Cumming. Happy birthday to me," Cumming concluded.
