Eco-fashion campaigner Livia Giuggioli Firth has handed back her Member of the British Empire honour in protest at what she called Britain’s “appeasement” of Donald Trump. In a video posted on Instagram, she tore up her certificate and announced that she could no longer reconcile her values with the royal embrace of the former US president during his state visit.

Her decision puts the spotlight on the honours system itself. Once a symbol of achievement, MBEs and OBEs now sit at the centre of debates about colonial legacy, transparency, and political compromise.

What MBEs and OBEs Represent

The Order of the British Empire was created during the First World War to reward contributions to the nation. Today it includes several ranks, with the MBE and OBE awarded for services to community, arts, science, business, and charity. Recipients are nominated by the public and approved through government committees before being presented at royal ceremonies.

While many see these awards as recognition of service, others view them as relics of empire. The very term “Empire” is a reminder of colonial rule, and critics argue that the system places civic contribution under a royal seal of approval rather than celebrating merit on its own terms.

Why Livia Returned Her Honour

Livia Firth explained that the sight of King Charles and senior royals honouring Trump during his visit forced her hand. She described it as a “cowardly display of appeasement” and said that holding the medal no longer aligned with her fight for environmental and social justice.

Her protest comes at a moment when the monarchy faces renewed criticism for hosting Trump with pageantry while much of the public opposed the visit. Polls show majorities disapprove of Trump personally, and protests during the visit included a giant projection linking him to Jeffrey Epstein across Windsor Castle.

Others Who Have Rejected or Returned Honours

Firth joins a small but visible group who have taken a stand. Poet Benjamin Zephaniah rejected his OBE in 2003, denouncing the word “Empire” and its ties to slavery. John Lennon returned his MBE in 1969, citing both the Vietnam War and Britain’s backing of Nigeria’s federal government during the Biafran conflict, where British weapons and political support helped enforce a blockade that led to the deaths of over three million people through starvation and disease.

Journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown handed back her MBE after the Iraq war, saying the honour clashed with her principles. Actor Michael Sheen gave up his OBE in 2020, arguing he could not keep it while campaigning for Welsh self-determination. Even David Bowie declined both an MBE and a knighthood, insisting such recognition was not what he had worked for. Though rare, these acts have carried symbolic weight, exposing the tension between state honours and personal conscience.

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The Debate Over Britain’s Honours System

Critics argue that the honours system functions as an extension of royal power. Defenders say it celebrates service and achievement in every field of life. Yet when public figures like Livia Firth, Michael Sheen, or Yasmin Alibhai Brown reject their medals, they expose the gap between pageantry and principle.

Calls for reform range from renaming the orders to stripping them of royal association altogether. Supporters of a republic argue that service should be recognised by the people, not by hereditary power.

A Moment That Matters

Livia Firth’s sending back her MBE turned a personal honour into a public protest. Her stand highlights the unease of a modern democracy still bound to symbols of empire and a monarchy eager to court leaders accused of authoritarianism and racism. The question now is whether Britain will continue to celebrate service through a system many see as outdated, or whether voices like Firth’s will push it toward reform.

We support Firth’s stand. Whether or not reform follows, her act marks a historical moment in the growing record of accomplished voices rejecting the monarchy and government’s conduct.

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