Colin Firth’s ex-wife Livia hands back MBE and tears up certificate over Trump

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Colin Firth’s ex-wife, Livia Giuggioli (Firth), has dramatically handed back her MBE because of Britain’s ‘appeasement’ of US President Donald Trump.

Italian activist Livia, 56, has shared a video of herself officially handing back her Member of the Order of the British Empire and tearing up her certificate for her services to sustainable fashion.

The businesswoman, who co-founded the sustainability consultancy Eco-Age and created the Green Carpet Fashion Award, received the award for her work to improve conditions for garment workers around the globe.

She said that she accepted the award for all of the factory workers and activists she had campaigned alongside, despite feelings about the legacy of the empire.

She explained in the video that a trigger was the ‘events of last week’ when Trump visited the UK and spent time with the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the royal family.

The caption of the post revealed the letter she enclosed, returning the award, with images showing the handwritten pages.

She shared a bold video on social media (Picture: Livia Firth/ Instagram) She showed fans her letter and MBE in the video (Picture: Instagram)

‘In 2019 I was given this MBE honour for my services in trying to make the fashion supply chain a more just and less deadly place to work for garment workers across the world.

‘Although I stand against the British Empire and remnants of that toxic system, I accepted the honour on behalf of the many garment worker activists who had educated and supported me.

‘I also had great respect for King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, and his decades battling on behalf of social and environmental justice.’

The couple was married for decades. (Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Chopard)

After explaining why she initially accepted the award she then explained why she now felt she could no longer hold onto it.

‘As I write this, we see that horrible excuse of a human (called Trump) in full flow at the UN General Assembly, his poisonous rethoric amplified and legitimized.

‘I have been reflecting on his visit to the UK last week and I am afraid I can’t reconcile the way he was appeased and honoured and, again, legitimized.

‘In fact, last week’s display showed me nothing of those values I thought King Charles upheld – or its spirit. Rather, a frightening and cowardly display of appeasing someone who stands for the obliteration of the natural world and the most vulnerable people on earth.’

She explained that as she couldn’t ‘reconcile those two positions’ she felt she had to ‘shred her honour’ and return it to sender.

‘I know so many honourable, decent British people who will be unable to reconcile their deeply held values of fairness and justice with the grotesque pantomime we witnessed. I think it’s only by taking a stand that we can make our feelings known.’

Livia was previously married to actor Colin Firth from 1997 until 2019, and the couple shares two sons, Luca and Matteo.

Firth was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to drama.

Livia claimed Trump was the reason she was handing back her MBE (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images) Celebrities who turned down honours

Nigella Lawson

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders

George Harrison

David Bowie

George the Poet

Danny Boyle

Benjamin Zephaniah

Skepta

Paul Weller

Ken Loach

Vanessa Redgrave

Martin Amis

John Cleese

Brian Eno

Roald Dahl

Stephen Hawking

Jon Snow

LS Lowry

John Lennon

Livia isn’t the first celebrity to return an MBE or OBE.

In 2023, Alan Cumming handed back his OBE he received in 2009, saying he had ‘opened his eyes’ to the ‘toxicity’ of the British Empire.

Michael Sheen was also awarded an OBE in 2009. However, he too gave his OBE back after consideration in later years.

Many more celebrities have also simply turned down an MBE or OBE as soon as it was offered to them, for a number of different reasons.

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