Beyoncé and Jay-Z accept BRIT award in front of Meghan Markle portrait

Music royalty pays respect to literal royalty.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z accept BRIT award in front of Meghan Markle portrait
Music royalty Beyoncé and Jay-Z paid respect to literal royalty. Credit: Larry Busacca/PW18/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment

Beyoncé and Jay-Z continue to be icons.

The power couple accepted the BRIT award for Best International Group on Wednesday for their collaboration album "EVERYTHING IS LOVE."

The pop culture royalty couldn't attend the London ceremony, so they sent a pre-recorded acceptance speech with a nod to literal royalty.

Standing in front of an oil painting of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and television star turned princess, the Carters were dressed in colorful suits similar to the ones they wore in the "APES**T" music video.

"Thank you so much to the BRIT awards for this incredible honor," Beyoncé said, holding the award up in front of a jewel-laden, crowned Markle. "Everything is love. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jay-Z responded, never looking away from the camera.

In a longer statement on Instagram, Beyoncé gave a shout out to Markle.

"In honor of Black History Month, we bow down to one of our Melanated Monas," she wrote. "Congrats on your pregnancy! We wish you so much joy."

Some saw it as a critique of British media treatment of Meghan Markle and her family. George Clooney recently defended the Duchess, stating that she was “pursued and vilified” by tabloids, and at the beginning of her relationship with Prince Harry, the monarchy put out a rare statement condemning the "the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and Web article comments."

Some thought the Carters were shading the Grammys, where they won Best Urban Contemporary Album but didn't make an appearance. Fans theorized that they were done with the awards show after it snubbed Beyoncé in 2017 and Jay-Z in 2018, and has consistently chosen non-Black artists for Album of the Year.

Leave it up to Beyoncé and Jay-Z to make the most subtle but powerful statements.

Topics Music

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
How to watch the Brit Awards 2026 online for free
Harry Styles performs on stage during The BRIT Awards 2023

Bluesky's CEO is stepping down. Here's why.
Bluesky logo



Rate your favorite audio brands for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card
Mashable Readers' Choice Award logo against background of audio products

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!