The South Korean girl group Blackpink made a special appearance at Buckingham Palace last night – and all four members dressed like royalty for the occasion.
King Charles III – along with Queen Consort Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales – hosted a state banquet in honour of Yoon Suk Yeol, president of the Republic of Korea, and Kim Keon Hee, the country’s first lady.
The K-pop group – comprising Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, who have performed together since 2016 – were also invited to join the proceedings, and were personally thanked by the King for their sustainability work.
To mark such an occasion, the four women opted for elegant eveningwear that felt perfectly fitting for the occasion, yet also reflected their own individual personal style. Jisoo, who is a Dior ambassador, wore a black puff-sleeved dress from the fashion house’s Resort 2024 collection, which was inspired by Frida Kahlo. Rosé also opted for a classic black dress, in the form of a column gown with a sweetheart neckline and co-ordinating Gianvito Rossi pumps. Jennie opted for a chic white off-the-shoulder gown – a guaranteed way to ooze sophistication and elegance for such a special occasion. Finally, Lisa added a splash of colour to the girlband’s group look, with an aquamarine embellished cape dress by Georges Hobeika, worn with metallic Rene Caovilla heels and a Bulgari necklace.
During his state banquet speech, the King paid tribute to Korean contributions to British culture and thanked Blackpink for their environmental efforts.
“Korea has matched Danny Boyle with Bong Joon-ho, James Bond with Squid Game and the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ with BTS’s ‘Dynamite,’ ” he said. “Our cultures share a remarkable ability to captivate imaginations across the world, transforming a so-called soft power into a shared superpower.”
He continued: “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 UK’s Presidency of COP 26, and later as advocates for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
