What Is The Meaning of OBE in ‘Peaky Blinders’?

Peaky Blinders season four opened with a surprising twist. The charmingly ruthless Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) wanted an OBE. Back in the UK, many viewers roared with delight when this happened, and creator Steven Knight gave an interview with Den of Geek defending his choice to grant the gangster an OBE. “I think Tommy Shelby is a bit like a lot of industrialists, he just came at it in a different direction,” he cheekily explained. “Many people have had OBEs who are less deserving, let’s put it that way!” 

So what’s the big deal? Why would Tommy Shelby want an “OBE?” What is an OBE? WHAT DOES OBE MEAN?!!?

OBE stands for “Officer of the British Empire.” It’s a chivalric title granted by the monarch to an exemplary member of British society. This honor can be awarded for anything from outstanding military service to profound contributions to the arts to exemplary charity work. As the British Cabinet Office describes it, the OBE is granted to someone who has had a “major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area.” So, sure, you could say that Tommy Shelby’s work has made him…”known nationally.”

An OBE is one of the many levels of honors tied to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which was founded by King George V in 1917 as a way of honoring citizens for their service to society. The highest level would be Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Gross, you know, like “Sir” or “Dame.” An OBE is even sometimes considered a stepping stone to that top honorific, though in Tommy Shelby’s case, it seems to double as a path to legitimacy. An OBE is a very public, even solemn honor, and it would be proof that the World War I vet had successfully worked his way to respectability. Well…sort of.

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