Michael Sheen has explained why he returned his OBE in 2017, revealing he made the decision after researching Welsh history for a lecture.
The 57-year-old actor, who was awarded the honour in 2009 for his services to drama, opened up about the decision while appearing on comedian Romesh Ranganathan's podcast last year, before the pair headed into the Scottish Castle for Celebrity Traitors.
Radicalised by research
Sheen said he reached his conclusion after being invited to deliver a Raymond Williams lecture. He remarked: "In the writing of the lecture and research, I essentially gave myself an education in Welsh history, Welsh political history. I put so much work into it. By the time I came out of it, I was sort of radicalised."
He told Romesh that, following the completion of his writing, he realised he couldn't deliver the lecture while still possessing an OBE. The 57-year-old stated, "I just can't do it, so I have to make a choice, I either have to give this OBE back, or I don't give this lecture."
The process of returning an honour
Romesh asked how one goes about returning an OBE once it's been awarded, and Sheen walked him through the lengthy procedure, reports Wales Online. He explained: "You have to write a letter to Prince Charles, as was. You don't have to physically do it yourself, but someone has to go and physically take the medal back and give it to the office. You have to sign something saying, 'I don't ever want to be asked again'. I mean, it's quite full on."
Sheen revealed that while few people had actually heard the lecture, it was the principle behind it that prompted him to hand back the OBE. Romesh suggested it seemed like an enormous decision and pressed him on how it felt. The actor responded: "It was pretty big, yeah. No one knew, I didn't tell anyone, I just did it."
No ill will towards the honour
Acknowledging that he felt "honoured" upon receiving it, Sheen was keen to stress he holds no ill will towards the honour itself. He continued: "I realised I couldn't say the things I was going to say about the nature of the relationship between Wales and the British State and the history of it. I sort of realised I couldn't have Officer of the British Empire after my name, it just didn't work."
During their conversation, Romesh questioned how significant his Welsh identity is to him, with Sheen revealing it has grown in importance over the years. He said: "Early on, a lot of people would think Welshness is about rugby and male-voice choirs and Tom Jones. That is very much a part of it, that cultural stuff. But, it's got richer and richer for me as I've got older, and I love that, it's one of the things I've most enjoyed about my life."
Celebrity Traitors is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. The Romesh Ranganathan Show is available to watch on YouTube.
