Photography via Instagram/@beyonce

You, Like Beyoncé, Can Frame a Royal Portrait of Meghan Markle on Your Wall

A queen recognizes a queen.

Date February 22, 2019

This year’s Grammys were lacking their typical star power, with artists like Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, Taylor Swift and Kanye West all skipping the ceremony. The Brit Awards, however, managed to secure an appearance from the holy trinity of celebrity when Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Meghan Markle made an unexpected joint appearance. Sort of.

To accept their award for Best International Group at the Brit Awards, the Carters shared a satellite acceptance speech that called on their Louvre-set “APES**T” music video. Rather than posing in front of the Mona Lisa, they stood in front of a framed portrait of Meghan Markle donning regal jewels and a Queen-like crown.

But chances are, you already know that. Because shortly after the awards ceremony aired, Beyoncé blessed us all by sharing the video message to Instagram. Which means, naturally, everyone else on Instagram shared it as well.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Feb 20, 2019 at 2:49pm PST

The image may, however, be more than a blip in the timeline of pop culture. British Journalist Tobí Rachel Akingbadé brought attention to the significance of the clip, writing to Twitter: “Listen yeah, do you even UNDERSTAND how important Beyoncé’s and Jay’s statement was? They snubbed the Grammy’s yet filmed something for the Brits to honour Meghan Markle as an act of solidarity as she faces the most blatant misogynoir.”

Beyoncé, it seems, is putting the Duchess under the protection of her fierce and protective Bee Hive army. As part of her #WeGood series in celebration of Black History Month, Queen Bee wrote a full tribute to Markle on her website, in which she commends the fact that the Duchess and Prince Harry “have continued to push the race relations dialogue forward both near and far.”

“Meghan’s background as a film and tv actress has allowed her to use her platform for good,” Beyoncé, 37, wrote of Markle, who also happens to be 37. “As a global ambassador for World Vision, she traveled to Rwanda to see how access to clean, safe water impacts children, an issue that is near and dear to our hearts. She also visited and supported the Myna Mahila Foundation in Mumbai, an organization that helps solve the menstruation challenges many women and girls in the community face.”

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Fun new painting for @emdashdesign (kate Collins) and ‘The Key’ on the former Kappa Kappa Gamma member becoming royalty.#illustration #realism @meghanmarkle.uk

A post shared by Tim O’Brien (@obrienillustration) on Jul 24, 2018 at 1:58pm PDT

Beyoncé, sadly, did not toss on a smock and paint the princess portrait herself. The illustration, created by Brooklyn-based artist Tim O’Brien, first appeared on the cover of The Key, the alumnae magazine for Markle’s sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. And, according to O’Brien, a fairly prominent artist who has illustrated multiple covers for magazines like TIME, Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, he “did not know” that the Carters were going to use his Meghan Markle masterpiece in their Brit Awards acceptance speech.

I’m guessing that O’Brien didn’t mind—seeing as he created a similar mock royal portrait of Beyoncé herself. And here comes the best news of all: you can own both posters, and hang them on opposite walls in the formal banquet room of your palace. Or, perhaps, above the frameless mattress in your studio apartment. There is no space where these nobel pieces of art are not needed.