Actor Alan Cumming, known from the James Bond film “GoldenEye”, announced in an Instagram post for his 58th birthday on January 27 that he recently officially returned his knightly order of Officer of the British Empire (OBE). .
Fourteen years ago he was incredibly grateful to have been inducted into the Queen’s Birthday Honors (1926-2022) and to have received the Order, “because it was not only awarded for my work as an actor, but ‘for activism for Equality in the Gay and Lesbian Community, USA,'” Cumming wrote in his post, in which he shared pictures of himself now and then after the awards ceremony.
The Scottish-born actor, who is also a US citizen, went on to explain that the Queen’s death and the ensuing discussions about the role of the monarchy and “particularly the way the British Empire is doing at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples around the world have really opened my eyes”. He has concerns about being associated with the “toxicity of the Empire”. He therefore gave up the medal, explained his reasons and thanked him for having received it at all. “I’m just plain old Alan Cumming again now.”
