Life

You Can Buy A Print Of That Meghan Markle Portrait In Beyoncé's Video

by Mia Mercado
Chris Jackson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Hear ye, hear ye! I come bearing good Duchess of Sussex-related news! You can buy the Meghan Markle portrait Beyonce and Jay-Z used during their BRIT award acceptance speech, and you don’t even need to leave your home to do it. If you heard something, that was just the sound of people across the world collectively gasping and clicking into a new browser tab.

If you, for some reason, don’t have a Google alert for news related to music royals or actual royals, you may have missed Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Meghan Markle shoutout at the BRITs. The couple won for Best International Group, as The Carters. In their acceptance video — they were much too busy being Beyoncé and Jay-Z to attend — the couple recreated a scene from the “APES**T” music video, standing in front of a Mona Lisa-like painting. However, the painting was not of the Mona Lisa.

In the video, which the BRIT Awards shared on Twitter, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are seen standing in front of the portrait of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. Beyoncé is holding the award and says, “Thank you so much to the BRIT awards for this incredible honor. You guys have always been so supportive. Everything is Love. Thank you.” To which Jay-Z adds, “You’re welcome.” The pair then turn to face the portrait and you can hear a child’s voice asking “WHY.” Was that Blue Ivy? Was it the twins? Are they old enough to talk yet??? Was that the voice of all of us asking why, how, what did we do to deserve to be alive during the same time as both Beyonce AND Meghan Markle?

The archival-style portrait of Meghan Markle is available to buy online as a print through the original artist’s shop. (An elegant tip of the most extravagant hat to writer R. Eric Thomas (@oureric) for sharing this finding on Twitter.)

The portrait was created by artist Tim O’Brien, originally done as the cover art for The Key magazine’s summer 2018 issue. (The Key is a magazine put out by Kappa Kappa Gamma, the sorority Markle belongs to.)

How much will it cost for such royal artwork to grace your home and life? Your entire life savings? Beyoncé and Jay-Z money, which is more than all of our collective life savings? Nope. $75. You can spend just 75 of your American dollars (plus shipping) for an 11” x 14” portrait of Meghan Markle that was also featured in a video with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

You can also get a size 16” x 20” print for $100 if you're trying to, oh I don't know, wallpaper your living room.

Perusing O’Brien’s shop and portfolio, you’ll see more than a few pieces you recognize. He’s done the cover art for TIME multiple times. He did the cover artwork for The Pisces by Melissa Border. He also has a Beyonce portrait, adorned with bees and lemons and done in a similar style to the Markle piece. That’s available as a print in his shop at $85 for a 16” x 20” print.

Also, everyone has been freaking out of this hot, shirtless Abraham Lincoln statue when O’Brien’s portrait of a young Lincoln was in front of us this whole time. You could have an entire portrait shrine of all your idols: Meghan Markle, Beyonce, and Hot Abraham Lincoln.

Yesterday, Beyonce posted a photo on Instagram of the couple in front of the Meghan Markle painting. Her caption thanks the BRITs and acknowledges her previous win with Kelly Roland and Michelle Willams (for Destiny’s Child back in 2002). The post concludes: “In honor of Black History Month, we bow down to one of our Melanated Monas. Congrats on your pregnancy! We wish you so much joy.”

Yesterday, Tim O’Brien posted this on Twitter: “Interesting to see my painting of Megan Markel behind @Beyonce and JZ for their Brit award. Congratulations to them both.”

And a final congrats to all of us on redecorating our home with portraits of Meghan Markle, Beyoncé, and Hot Lincoln.