BLACKPINK members receive honorary MBEs from King Charles III

November 23, 2023 - 4:55pm

Members of BLACKPINK receive honorary MBEs from King Charles III

MANILA, Philippines — Members of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have been named honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for their roles in advocating for climate action.

After attending a state banquet in Buckingham Palace held for the three-day state visit of Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, BLACKPINK returned to Buckingham Palace to receive their honors from King Charles III.

His Majesty The King invested Rosé, Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa with honorary MBEs in recognition of the group's role as COP26 Advocates for the COP26 Summit in Glasgow two years ago.

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"It's amazing you're still talking to each other after all these years," the king joked, the group having debuted seven years ago. "I hope I shall be able to see you perform live at some point."

On the same day, the military band of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards played several BLACKPINK songs like "DDU-DU DDU-DU" during the changing of the guard.

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BLACKPINK was appointed as COP26 Advocates by the British Government in January 2021, and in that capacity encouraged millions to engage with the global United Nations (UN) climate change conference and the topic of climate action.

The group has also been appointed by UN Secretary General António Guterres as global Ambassadors for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The four women received their MBEs, awarded on the recommendation of the UK Government, presented at an Investiture in Buckingham Palace's 1844 Room with Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee in attendance.

MBEs are one of a series of medals and honors that can be awarded by monarchs on behalf of the government.

BLACKPINK's honors are honorary as they are not British citizens, however, the case may be different for Rosé as she holds citizenship from New Zealand, a Commonwealth country.

The United Kingdom and South Korea are celebrating this 2023 its 140 years of bilateral relations.

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