Alan Cumming returns OBE honour

Alan Cumming has handed back his OBE honour.

The Scottish actor was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The Queen's Birthday Honours in 2009 in recognition of his services to acting and to "activism for equal rights for the gay and lesbian community, USA".

On Friday, to mark his 58th birthday, The Good Wife star revealed that conversations about the British monarchy following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September sparked his decision to return his honour.

"The Queen's death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes," he explained on Instagram. "Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire.

"So I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I'm now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!"

Cumming has been a dual citizen of the U.K. and U.S. since 2008. He lives in New York with his husband Grant Shaffer.