BLACKPINK are K-pop royalty used to playing to massive crowds or adoring fans. But on Tuesday night (Nov. 21) Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa were happy to share the spotlight with some actual nobles when they attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
The quartet were the guests of England’s King Charles and Queen Camilla at a glitzy state dinner in honor of South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee during their visit to the UK. The Royal Family’s X account posted footage of the King greeting the four women and giving them awards for their roles as advocates at last month’s COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow.
“The King, joined by The President and First Lady of the Republic of Korea, has welcomed @BLACKPINK to Buckingham Palace, as they are awarded Honorary MBEs,” read the statement. “The K-pop band have been awarded the honours in recognition of their role as Advocates for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.” In the accompanying video, King Charles presents each member with their royal honor as they curtsy and shake the monarch’s hand.
In a second tweet, the four hold up their MBEs and smile alongside the message, “First appointed to the role by the UK Government in January 2021, @BLACKPINK encouraged millions of young people to engage with the global UN climate change conference and the top of climate action. Congratulations to Rosé, Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa!”
The royal account also posted a pic of the band posing with the King and the South Korean president as well as footage of a royal musical regimen performing a BLACKPINK instrumental outside the palace. BLACKPINK were among the more than 170 guests on hand for the event, during which King Charles shouted out the group, while praising the UK’s close relationship with South Korea and the nation’s — and BLACKPINK’s — commitment to increased sustainability, one of Charles’ longtime causes.
“It is especially inspiring to see Korea’s younger generation embrace the cause,” Charles said at the royal gathering also attended by Prince William and Kate Middleton. “I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, better known collectively as BLACKPINK, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience as Ambassadors for the U.K.’s Presidency of COP 26, and later as advocates for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.”
“I can only admire how they can prioritize these vital issues, as well as being global superstars,” Charles added in a speech that also touched the global impact of director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), the Netflix series Squid Game and, of course, BTS. In July, BLACKPINK made history when they became the first South Korean band to headline a major festival in the UK when they took the stage at the BST Hyde Park Festival.
According to Vogue, the always-stylish quartet brought their fashion A-game for the visit, with Jisoo wearing a “black, textured puff-sleeved dress from Christian Dior’s resort 2024 collection, which hails from Maria Grazia Chiuri’s ode to Frida Kahlo,” partnered with a monogrammed Dior top-handle purse. Rosé wore a “black strapless velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline,” matched with a hair bow and a black pointed-toe pump.
Jennie switched it up, contrasting with her bandmates in a simple, long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder “sweet, bridal ensemble” with a black platform sandal and a sparkly clutch. Lisa went neutral in beaded tulle “aquamarine dress with a regal, cape dress from Georges Hobeika,” accessorized with a metallic gold platform shoe and diamond necklace.
It was the second time this week BLACKPINK met with dignitaries, following on the heels of Rosé joining U.S. First Lady Jill Biden for a mental health event at Apple’s HQ in Cupertino, CA.
See footage and photos from the visit below.
