John Stillwell – WPA Pool/Getty ImagesEd Sheeran is now Ed Sheeran, MBE.
Ed was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire on Thursday, and received the award — a special medal — from Prince Charles at London’s Buckingham Palace.
According to a tweet from Clarence House, the Prince’s private office, Ed received the order for “services to music and charity.” Upon accepting the award, Ed said, “My grandfather…died on this day four years ago, so it’s actually quite a nice full circle thing. I guess he’d be pretty proud.”
Ed posted a photo of himself holding up his new medal, along with the caption, “Honoured to be awarded an MBE today at Buckingham Palace x.” He also posted a photo of the moment when Prince Charles presented him with the honor.
The MBE is an honor first established in 1917 by King George V. It’s the lowest class of the five “Order of the British Empire” honors that one might receive. The top order makes you either a knight, if you’re a man, or a dame, if you’re a woman.
The Beatles were made MBEs in 1965, though John Lennon later returned his medal as a protest against war. Many legendary rockers have gone on to receive MBEs or its variations, CBE and OBE, or to be knighted; among them Elton John, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.
