Livia Firth returns MBE, tears up certificate in protest over Trump's UK reception

Livia Firth, the eco-fashion campaigner and ex-wife of Colin Firth, has handed back her MBE, tearing up the certificate in a video she posted on Instagram on Wednesday. She said she could not hold the honour after seeing Britain’s apparent appeasement of U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to the United Kingdom last week.

Firth explained she was returning the honor to St James’s Palace via the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, writing in a handwritten letter that she could not reconcile those two positions. “Because I can’t reconcile those two positions, I have shredded my honour and I am returning it to sender,” she wrote in the note. She also shared images of the medal in its box and the handwritten letter, which was dated October 24, 2025 in error despite the current date shown elsewhere.

In the note, she argued that Britain was legitimising Trump with what she described as a “frightening and cowardly display of appeasement.” She wrote: “As I write this, we see that horrible excuse of a human (called Trump) in full flow at the UN General Assembly, his poisonous rhetoric amplified and legitimised.” She added that the display did not reflect the values she believed King Charles upheld, or the spirit of environmental and social justice she associates with the monarchy.

The Italian-born filmmaker and businesswoman helped found Eco-Age, a sustainability consultancy. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire five years ago for services to the fashion industry, recognizing her work to improve conditions for garment workers around the globe. She accepted the honour on behalf of the many factory workers and activists who had educated and supported her, even as she expressed discomfort with the legacy of empire. She signed the letter as Livia Giuggioli (Firth).

Born in Rome, Livia studied film before meeting Colin Firth on the set of a BBC documentary in 1996, where she was working as a production assistant. The couple married the following year and had two sons, Luca, 24, and Matteo, 22. Their 22-year marriage ended in 2019 amid public reports of an affair involving Livia during a temporary separation in 2015–2016; the pair finalized their split in 2021.

Despite the split, Livia has remained a prominent figure in sustainable fashion. She has advised major luxury houses on sustainability, addressed the United Nations on labour rights, and produced documentaries that examine exploitation in the fast-fashion supply chain. She has long spoken of her admiration for King Charles, whom she has described as someone who has spent decades championing social and environmental justice.

The episode underscores her ongoing willingness to confront issues at the intersection of fashion, ethics and state policy, even as it has drawn widespread attention to the symbolism and meaning of royal honors in a modern Britain.