Meghan Markle can count Beyoncé and Jay Z as fully signed-up supporters after the Brit Awards. Fresh from of being criticised for the audacity to, um checks this week’s notes have a baby shower in New York with a few of her friends, and um, checks other notes from this week and it’s not even Thursday yet not invite the sister who likes slagging her off in the press, the Duchess of Sussex was honoured by two of pop’s biggest stars.
The married couple won an award for best international group for their joint album THE CARTERS and sent the Brits a video message to share their gratitude for the award. That doesn’t mean they don’t like the Brits, it’s just a schedule clash thing. None of the international winners - including Drake and Ariana Grande - could make it, and Ed Sheeran was too busy being globally successful, on tour in Uruguay to collect his global success award. Anyway, Jay Z and Beyoncé’s acceptance speech will be noticed the world over, due to its praise of Meghan Markle.
The video is a riff on of the visuals that the pair used in their video for the song, APESHIT, in which they appear in front of Leonardo DaVinci’s beautiful-inscrutable Mona Lisa in Paris’s Louvre Museum. With the refrain 'Can't believe we made it', both the song and video are a comment on black people's long walk to reaching equality, and was heralded by none other than Barack Obama.
This time round, the world’s most famous and influential black power couple turned to gaze adoringly at the regal Meghan, in place of the Mona Lisa. In the painting, she’s depicted wearing a massive tiara, as well as pearls and diamonds. Even if certain tabloids, commentators and racist wingnuts can’t accept Meghan as royalty, Jay Z and Bey were delighted to show them how real respect for the monarchy is done.
Dresses stars wore to their first Brit awards
1 of 15Kate Moss
In 2014, Kate Moss presented a Brit Award wearing David Bowie's infamous Ziggy Stardust stage outfit from 1972
2 of 15Madonna
Madonna rewore this Versace dress from the 1995 Brit Awards - where she performed 'Bedtime Story'- to the Met Gala in 2018
3 of 15Spice Girls
The Spice Girls attended their first Brit's in 1995 wearing their classic character costumes…
4 of 15Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud went full Grecian Goddess with a classic girl-band twist in 2005…
5 of 15Adele
Adele's first Brit Awards were in 2008 where she played it safe in all black
6 of 15Little Mix
In 2012, Little Mix were yet to master the mixing and matching we've come to love of girl band attire…
7 of 15Caprice
Caprice's iconic first Brit awards dress made headlines in 2001. Apparently back then it was wild to wear a fishnet two-piece out and about, this was before Instagram of course…
8 of 15Lady Gaga
An absolutely classic Lady Gaga outfit for her first Brit Awards in 2009. The next year she took it up a notch, or ten, wearing an all-white dress that somewhat resembled a wedding cake, and matching headpiece of course.
9 of 15Denise Van Outen
Denise Van Outen truly living her best live at the 2000 Brit Awards
10 of 15Kylie Minogue
In 1997, Kylie Minogue had mastered timeless fashion statements very early in her career…
11 of 15Destiny's Child
Long live the noughties fashion of Destiny's Child, who attended their first Brit Awards in 2001.
12 of 15Pink
Pink matched her 2003 Brit Awards dress to her red mohawk, oh how we miss the noughties…
13 of 15Lily Allen
Lily Allen's first Brit Awards in 2007 proved a fashion hit, wearing this teal satin dress with peep-toe Christian Louboutin heels
14 of 15Rihanna
We're not sure was shone brighter at Rihanna's first Brit Awards in 2008, this dress or her performance of 'Umbrella' with The Klaxons.
15 of 15Katy Perry
Katy Perry went all out for her Brit Awards in 2009, although she apparently felt awful during the show. She told Radio 1 Natalia Imbruglia found her shivering with cold sweats in the women's bathroom shortly after walking the carpet.