Power couple Beyonce and Jay Z found a way to give a sweet shout-out to Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, People is reporting. Beyonce and Jay Z were awarded “Best International Group” at the 2019 Brit Awards for their husband-and-wife act “The Carters.” In the duo’s music video for their most popular song “APES–T,” the couple pose in front of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait “Mona Lisa.” While accepting their Brit award, the pair wanted to reference the music video by posing in front of the painting — only this time, Markle was the woman featured in the portrait, complete with tiara and pearl necklace.
Beyonce and Jay Z didn’t actually attend the awards ceremony at the O2 in London on February 20 to accept their award in person, but they did send a video message along.
“Thank you so much to the Brit awards for this incredible honor,” Beyoncé says to the camera. “You guys have always been so supportive. Everything is love. Thank you.”
Jay Z then jokingly says “you’re welcome” before the two turn to stare at the portrait of Markle that had been noticeable in the background. Later, Beyonce shared a picture on her Instagram from the video where she explained in the caption why the couple decided to showcase Markle in their acceptance speech. Beyonce wrote that they wanted to pay special tribute to their “Melanated Monas” in honor of Black History Month. Markle’s mother Doria Ragland is black, and after Markle married Prince Harry, the actress became the first person of color to be a part of the British royal family in the modern era. She has spoken out in the past about how important her biracial identity is to her.
Well played @Beyonce & @S_C_ ?
Watch The #BRITs 2019 live here: https://t.co/qj4KiENtGs pic.twitter.com/rGnmq0RUlr
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) February 20, 2019
“While my mixed heritage may have created a grey area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that,” she wrote for Elle in 2015. “To say who I am, to share where I’m from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman. That when asked to choose my ethnicity in a questionnaire as in my seventh grade class, or these days to check ‘Other,’ I simply say: ‘Sorry, world, this is not Lost and I am not one of The Others. I am enough exactly as I am.’”
Markle is currently in New York City celebrating her baby shower with her friends. As for the gorgeous illustration of Markle featured in the video, it was created by artist Tim O’Brien and initially appeared on the cover of the alumnae magazine for Markle’s college sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.
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