OHMYGOSSIP — Michael Sheen returned his OBE so he could air his views about the monarchy without being branded a “hypocrite”.
The 51-year-old actor was awarded an OBE [Order of the British Empire] in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services to drama, but he later handed it back when he was researching the history of Wales – where he was born – for a lecture in 2017.
He said: “Raymond Williams famously wrote a piece called ‘Who Speaks For Wales in 1971’ – and I took that as my starting point for the lecture as in who speaks for Wales now.
“And in my research, to do that lecture, I learnt a lot about Welsh history.
“By the time I finished typing that lecture … I remember sitting there and thinking, ‘Well I have a choice, either don’t give this lecture and hold on to my OBE or I give this lecture and give the OBE back.’
“I wanted to do the lecture, so I gave my OBE back.”
The ‘Good Omens’ star insisted he didn’t mean any “disrespect” by handing back the OBE.
He said: “I didn’t mean any disrespect but I just realised I’d be a hypocrite if I said the things I was going to say in the lecture about the nature of the relationship between Wales and the British state.”
Michael referenced English king Edward I giving his son, the future Edward II, the title Prince of Wales in 1301.
Speaking on journalist Owen Jones’ YouTube channel, the ‘Prodigal Son’ actor added: “Why Edward made his son the Prince of Wales [was] because it was part of keeping down the Welsh rebellion.
“These are things that happened so long ago but these things are resonant.”
Prince Charles, the current Prince of Wales – who was born in London – is set to forfeit the title when he ascends the throne, and Michael believes that would be a “really meaningful and powerful gesture for that title to no longer be held in the same way as it has before”.
Source: VacationHunter.Online
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