Alan Cumming and Ben Summerskill receive OBEs
Actor Alan Cumming and Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill were honoured with OBEs yesterday at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Both were presented with their honours by Princess Anne.
Cumming attended the event in a kilt and admitted he had nothing underneath it. He was accompanied by his civil partner Grant Shaffer, his mother Mary and his brother.
He said: “The Princess is lovely. I said if I fainted to not be alarmed. She thought it was hilarious.”
Summerskill was honoured for his services to equality and attended with Stonewall volunteer Cathy Moore and colleague Daniel Danso.
He said: “I was really pleased to be able to attend Buckingham Palace both with a Stonewall staff member and a volunteer. All of our successes have been built on the back of efforts over the years of hundreds of staff and volunteers.
“As I pointed out to Princess Anne I meet lots of queens every day, so it was nice change to meet a princess.”
Summerskill and Cumming will not be referred to as Sir, as only those receiving the highest honours of knighthoods may use ‘this title. However, they may put OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) after their names.
