Power couple and hip-hop royalty Beyoncé and Jay-Z are the talk of the town after their unexpected acceptance speech aired during the 2019 Brit Awards.
The husband and wife pair were not able to attend the ceremony at the O2 in London, but when honored with the trophy for Best International Group, they made sure to send in an unforgettable video message.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z recreated a scene from their "APES**T" music video in which they stand on either side of the famous Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre Museum in Paris. However in the new clip, instead of the half-smiling woman, it's a portrait of Meghan Markle styled as Queen Victoria complete with a crown and layers of pearl necklaces.
Well played @Beyonce & @S_C_ 😂
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) February 20, 2019
Watch The #BRITs 2019 live here: https://t.co/qj4KiENtGs pic.twitter.com/rGnmq0RUlr
"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 jokingly replies, "You're welcome," before they both turn around to face the painting of the Duchess of Sussex, which was created by American artist Tim O'Brien for the alumni magazine of Meghan's sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Shortly after their video went viral, the former Destiny's Child singer shared a photo posing in front of the painting on Instagram, explaining why they included the duchess' photo.
"In honor of Black History Month, we bow down to one of our Melanated Monas," Beyoncé wrote, referring to Meghan's black heritage. "Congrats on your pregnancy! We wish you so much joy."
It is widely speculated that Beyoncé and Jay-Z swapping out Mona Lisa for Meghan is a move to show their support for the American-born royal who has faced immense criticism from the public, press, and her own family since her relationship with Prince Harry was made public a few years ago.
Even after tying the knot last May, the scrutiny has continued, subjecting the pregnant duchess to racist remarks and bullying.
In addition to Beyonce and Jay-Z, the former Suits star's closest friends, celebrities like George Clooney, and even the royal family have recently come to Meghan's defense.
Kensington Palace recently asked social media companies, including Twitter and Instagram, to help control the cyber-bullying and vicious criticism against both Meghan and Kate Middleton.
