The day BLACKPINK received an honor from King Charles III

This Wednesday, the 7th (morning of August 8th in South Korea) is the eighth anniversary of the debut of one of the main girl groups in K-pop today: BLACKPINK. The group, formed by Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé It is Lisadebuted on this same day in 2016, with the tracks “WHISTLE” and “BOOMBAYAH”, by YG Entertainment.

Due to their immediate success, in their first few months of career, the band was already considered “Monster Rookies”, thanks to the impressive numbers they were achieving, even with little time in the industry.

Since then, BLACKPINK has grown from strength to strength, breaking records and achieving unimaginable feats, such as becoming the first K-pop act to headline Coachella, one of the world’s leading music festivals, as well as being awarded an honorary title by the King. Charles IIIfrom UK.

BLACKPINK MBE

The honor was bestowed upon the four members in November 2023, during a state visit by the President and First Lady of the Republic of South Korea, where Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé It is Lisa were special guests to participate in a luxurious banquet offered by the king Charles III and by the queen consort Camilla for the South Korean delegation.

On the day of the banquet, on November 21, in addition to talking about the relationship between the two countries, the monarch also made a point of mentioning the idols, and praising them for spreading the message of environmental sustainability.

“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. I can only admire how they are able to prioritize these vital issues, in addition to being global superstars,” Charles III said in his speech.

The following morning, the BLACKPINK members were invited to return to Buckingham Palace to be honored with the titles of Honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), as a way of recognizing the idols’ work as COP26 Advocates at the COP26 Summit, held in Glasgow in 2021.

The honors were delivered by hand by the king Charles IIIwith the handover ceremony being attended by the President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeoland the First Lady, Kim Keon Hee.

According to the Royal Central portal, the Order of the British Empire was instituted by the king George V in 1917, with the aim of recognizing the efforts of civilians in their services to the community. In total, there are six ranks of the Order of the British Empire: MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), CBE (Commander of the British Empire), KBE/DBE (Dame/Knight) and GBE (Dame/Knight Grand Cross).

The MBE title is the first rank in the order, and gives artists the right, as explained by The Sun, to use the letters MBE after their names, and can be recognized from then on as Jisoo Kim MBE, Jennie Kim MBE, Roseanne Park MBE It is Lalisa Manobal MBE.

It is worth noting that, as Rosé She was born in New Zealand, a country that is part of the British Empire, and also has New Zealand citizenship. Her title gives her the position of full associate, and not just honorary, which means she has some privileges that are different from those of her fellow members. They are:

• You can get married at St. Paul’s Cathedral, a venue known for being frequently used for royal weddings. The privilege may also be extended to your children;
• If you are baptized in the Chapel of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, also known as St. Faith’s Chapel, located in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Your children and grandchildren can also be baptized there;
• If the Crown so wishes, she may be appointed to other ranks of the Order of the British Empire, where she may use the title of Dame;
• You can request a family coat of arms, which will be included in the Faculty of Arms.

In addition to receiving their MBE medals, BLACKPINK also received another honor during their visit to England. That’s because, on the morning of the 22nd, the Buckingham Palace military band also made a point of playing the song “DDU-DU DDU-DU”, one of the girl group’s biggest hits. Watch the moment!