Cynthia Erivo’s Royal Honour Exposes the Problem With Britain’s Empire Medals

Cynthia Erivo has achieved what few artists ever do: a Tony, a Grammy, an Emmy, and two Oscar nominations. She has played Harriet Tubman and Elphaba. She has defied gravity on stage and screen. There is no question that she deserves recognition for her extraordinary contribution to the arts.

But on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, she stood at Windsor Castle and received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) from Prince William. And that moment, however glittering, deserves more than uncritical celebration.

Here is what Town & Country reported:

Cynthia Erivo was recognized for her contribution to the dramatic and musical arts with a special royal honor at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. Prince William presented Erivo with a medal, making her a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

“To be given this recognition to celebrate the work that I love to do within the arts, specifically music and drama, is an honor I could never have thought would happen,” Erivo said in a statement last year. “I hope it shows that I care deeply about the work and will continue to do so to the best of my abilities.”

Erivo was among the British stars on the royals’ New Years honors list, which also included Idris Elba, who serves as an ambassador for King Charles’s charity, The King’s Trust. Comedian Matt Lucas, a former co-host of The Great British Baking Show, was also honored on Tuesday.

The article notes that Erivo is “one of the most decorated British performers of her generation.” That is true. But decoration does not happen in a vacuum. The MBE, OBE, CBE and knighthoods are all honours handed out by a hereditary monarchy that sits atop the legacy of the British Empire, an empire that ran concentration camps, committed atrocities, and still refuses to apologise.

Final thoughts

I understand the importance of representation. Seeing a Black British woman succeed at the highest levels of the arts should be celebrated. Cynthia Erivo’s talent is not in question. But the monarchy is a step too far for me.

The British honours system is not neutral. It carries the language and legacy of empire. This is the same imperial state whose colonial administration ran detention camps in Kenya during the Mau Mau period, where Kenyans were subjected to torture, rape and other forms of abuse. The British government has expressed regret and paid compensation, but the monarchy has still stopped short of the full apology many survivors, families and human rights groups have demanded.

British colonial violence was not an abstract historical footnote. Testimony from survivors included horrific accounts of sexual violence, including rape with bottles. The establishment also spent decades hiding, destroying or withholding colonial records that exposed the scale of the abuse. That is the history the honours system asks people to dress up in medals, ceremony and palace photographs.

I respect John Lennon, Robert Smith, Benjamin Zephaniah and Livia Firth for rejecting or returning royal honours. Their refusals understood the point Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has long made: the honours system can blunt criticism by pulling dissenters into the palace’s embrace. The individual gets a medal, but the monarchy gains something more valuable: the appearance of inclusion without changing its unequal foundations.

Cynthia Erivo’s talent is undeniable. But standing in Windsor Castle, accepting a medal from the heir to a throne built on exploitation, is not a moment of pure pride. It is complicated. It is political. And it is a reminder that even brilliant artists can get caught up in the crown’s glow and forget what the crown actually represents.

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