Why Were BLACKPINK at Buckingham Palace?

BLACKPINK fans were treated to a surprise appearance by the Korean pop band at a glittering Buckingham Palace event on Tuesday, with King Charles III praising their work in environmental advocacy.

Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa—best known for their 2022 hit song "How You Like That"—were photographed walking the halls of the royal palace wearing elegant gowns at the evening event which inspired a number of media reports and social media posts.

It was also announced on Wednesday that the group had been awarded special honors by King Charles.

The group will begin the European leg of their Born Pink tour on November 30 in London before moving on to Spain, Germany, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Why Were BLACKPINK at Buckingham Palace?

BLACKPINK visited Buckingham Palace on November 21 to attend a state banquet given by King Charles III in honor of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The banquet marked the first day of the president's state visit to Britain, which included a number of official meetings with politicians and events showcasing the relationship between the two countries.

The centerpiece of any state visit is the state banquet hosted at Buckingham Palace, with guests invited to reflect the international interests of the visiting nation. These often include celebrities or high-profile public figures.

Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa attended the event as one of South Korea's largest cultural exports with a huge fanbase in Britain. They were also invited for their work in the environmental field, an area that King Charles III is personally passionate about.

In 2020 and 2021, the band recorded video messages in connection with the United Nations Climate Change Conference which was hosted in Glasgow, more commonly known as COP26, in which they spoke to raise awareness of environmental issues among their fanbase and more generally around the world.

Before the state banquet on Tuesday, the band members were introduced to King Charles in the white drawing room of Buckingham Palace, video footage of which quickly went viral on social media.

What Did King Charles III Say About BLACKPINK?

After meeting the king, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa took their seats in the palace's ballroom for the state banquet which was also attended by other members of the royal family, including Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

Opening the banquet, Charles made a speech in honor of President Yoon Suk Yeol, in which he gave a special shoutout to BLACKPINK in connection with their environmental work.

"It is especially inspiring to see Korea's younger generation embrace the cause. 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," he said.

"I can only admire how they can prioritize these vital issues, as well as being global superstars."

The band's reaction to this royal praise was caught on camera in the official footage of the speech which was broadcast live in Britain.

What Awards Did King Charles Give BLACKPINK?

In an announcement made by Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, it was revealed that King Charles had presented Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé with special honors on behalf of the British government.

In a private investiture at the palace on November 22, the band members were made honorary Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) with President Yoon Suk Yeol present at the ceremony.

The honors were awarded at the suggestion of the British government for the group's environmental advocacy.

To mark the occasion, BLACKPINK's "DDU-DU DDU-DU" was played outside Buckingham Palace by a military band during the changing of the guard ceremony.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Update 11/22/23, 10 a.m. ET: This article was updated with the group's MBE awards.