Stella McCartney Receives Commander of the Order of the British Empire Honors from King Charles III

Stella McCartney is kicking off 2023 with her newest honor: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

The fashion designer received her CBE from King Charles III in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday morning, in addition to songwriter Deborah Dyer. The award is given to those who have given back to the United Kingdom by making positive impacts through their work. Dressed in a belted navy sheath dress, her own archival vegan black satin pumps and an Emily-London Headwear lace veil, McCartney made a sharp style statement while receiving the honor for her services to the fashion industry.

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Stella McCartney poses with her Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) honor after an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England on Feb. 7, 2023.
CREDIT: Paul Grover - Pool / Getty Images

“Humbled to be honoured by His Majesty King Charles III today and also to have been included in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s final Birthday Honours. Proud for this recognition of my work in fashion, sustainability and beyond. x Stella,” McCartney captioned her Instagram post of the historic moment.

The CBE is the highest-ranking Order of the British Empire award that can be achieved. McCartney is the latest fashion designer to receive the award, which has previously been bestowed to designers including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Jane Muir, Katherine Hamnett and Betty Jackson. Other notable CBE recipients include Stephen Hawking, Hugh Laurie and Helena Bonham Carter.

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McCartney has received a wide range of honors during her fashion design career, most notably an Office of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013. Previously, she also earned prestigious awards including the 2000 VH1/Vogue Designer of the Year, 2004 Glamour Award for Best Designer of the Year, 2004 Star Honoree at the Fashion Group International Night of Stars. In 2009, McCartney was also named a Glamour Woman of the Year, and bestowed with the Special Recognition Award for Innovation at the 2017 British Fashion Awards.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: (L-R) Kate Hudson, Stella McCartney and Madelyn Cline attend Stella McCartney X Adidas Party at Henson Recording Studio on February 02, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)
Kate Hudson, Stella McCartney and Madelyn Cline attend Stella McCartney X Adidas Party at Henson Recording Studio on Feb. 2, 2023 in Los Angeles.
CREDIT: Getty Images

The daughter of Sir Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, Stella has made waves in the fashion industry since her namesake brand launched in 2001 — particularly for its emphasis on environmentally friendly products that don’t use leather, fur, feathers or exotic animal skins. Aside from her best-selling clothing, handbags, footwear and organic skincare line, McCartney has also designed activewear collections in her popular collaboration with Adidas since 2005. Previously, she was the creative director of Chloé from 1997-2001.

PHOTOS: Discover McCartney’s spring 2023 Adidas collection launch in the gallery.

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