Ed Sheeran shows off his MBE.
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On Thursday, Ed Sheeran was named a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an award typically reserved for world-changing rock stars (the Beatles) and minor members of the British civil service (this author’s grandfather). In terms of Britishness, this award places Sheeran two rungs below Benedict Cumberbatch, who was named a commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire back in 2015. The “Shape of You†crooner was given the honor for “services to music and charity†and, presumably, his tour of duty in the Riverlands. The Queen was busy, so Sheeran got the medal from Prince Charles. All in all, it went better than his last brush with royalty.