The Queen strips Harvey Weinstein of his honorary CBE

You can’t erase history, but sometimes you can edit it—at least in the case of retracting awards or special honours given to people who have proven to be anything but worthy of such accolades.Case in point? The Queen herself has stripped convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein of his honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), aka one of the highest rankings the royals can give a person outside of a knighthood or damehood. “The Queen has directed that the appointment of Harvey Weinstein to be an Honorary Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, dated 29 January 2004, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order,” reads the U.K.’s official public record.The point of a CBE is to recognize a person for having a great impact in their field of work. Which once upon a time Weinstein did, as one of the biggest producers in Hollywood. Now the disgraced personality is serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault in New York. After his sentencing hearing earlier this year he was rushed to the hospital for chest pain and heart palpitations, and his health has suffered a variety of setbacks since—including contracting COVID-19.[video_embed id='1964904']RELATED: Queen Elizabeth once hid in a bush to avoid someone[/video_embed]According to CBE guidelines, honorees are expected to remain good citizens and positive role models, which Weinstein, clearly, is not. “This might include being found guilty of a criminal offence, behaviour which results in censure by a regulatory or a professional body, or any other behaviour that is deemed to bring the honours system into disrepute,” reads the U.K. government’s website.The Sun UK first reported rumours that Weinstein’s title would be revoked earlier this week, after a campaign started by playwright Polly Creed gained momentum. #WeinsteinHasNoHonour began after French president Emmanuel Macron removed Weinstein’s Legion d’Honneur in 2017 following allegations of abuse by more than 80 women. But the hashtag got even more traction this past summer when it received backing from important political figureheads, and pressure started to mount.Since the allegations against Weinstein were first made he has also lost his Du Bois Medal from Harvard University and The University of Buffalo has rescinded his honorary doctorate. According to BBC News, the decision to revoke Weinstein’s CBE would have gone all the way to the Forfeiture Committee with or without the many people who wrote to their MPs, and that the decision is actually independent of the government.“However many will believe that the committee should have been poised to make a speedy decision and send a swift signal once he was convicted in February,” reads the article. “And will feel that even with a system slowed by COVID, that it still shouldn't have taken more than six months to rescind the CBE of a convicted sex offender.”[video_embed id='2038608']Before you go: 'Cheer' star Jerry Harris arrested and charged[/video_embed]