Oops! Mel B may have accidentally broken royal protocol when she was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in May 2022.
The singer, 47, opened up about the experience during a Wednesday, January 18, appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan, explaining that she unintentionally wore a risqué dress on the big day. “Prince William gave me my medal and it was quite embarrassing,” The Spice Girls performer (born Melanie Brown) began. “I didn’t realize the medal actually goes here on your chest, and Victoria [Beckham] designed my dress — me and my mom’s dress — for the occasion and she put a big slit [across the bodice] and I was like, ‘Oh, sorry!’ [to William].”
The U.K. native joked: “I think she knew. She did a number on me.”
For the ceremony, which took place at Buckingham Palace, the Dancing With the Stars alum looked radiant in vibrant red midi dress that hugged her figure. The design was finished with an opening below the neckline and capped sleeves. She paired the frock with glossy Christian Louboutin pumps.
The former America’s Got Talent judge praised her bandmate’s handiwork and their friendship following the event, sharing a photo via Instagram of the two sharing a sweet embrace. “My Spice sister Vic, I can’t thank you enough for your enormous generosity,” she wrote at the time. “Not only did you dress me and my mum but you surprised me by actually being there to fit us … it was just soooooooo special thanks to YOU and your fabulousness.”
Melanie Brown, Mel B, with her mother Andrea Brown after receiving an MBE for services to charitable causes and vulnerable womenInvestitures at Buckingham Palace on May 4, 2022. Giles Anderson/CPNA Pool/Shutterstock
She continued: “Honestly, what a perfect ending to a magical day you booked a lovely dinner together with both our families wowza 25 years of friendship and we still like each other haha I love you lots.”
The pop star was awarded the honor for her work raising awareness domestic abuse as patron of Women’s Aid, an England-based charity that aims to end violence against women and children. The issue hits close to home for the songstress, who alleged in her 2018 memoir, Brutally Honest, that she was physically, sexually, verbally and financially abused by her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte. (The former couple wed in 2007 and split in 2017. The exes share 11-year-old daughter Madison. Brown is now engaged to Rory McPhee.)
Shortly after the MBE ceremony, Brown reflected on the achievement and spoke about her healing journey.
“This is me smiling to myself looking at my MBE but what you don’t see in this post is the huge army of women that are holding me up, giving me strength to keep going because my story is their story and their story is mine,” she wrote via social media alongside a video of herself with her medal. “Understand this MBE is YOURS … OURS. Together we did this not to just highlight this epidemic but to bring hope back in our lives that we are important what happened to us is a crime so please don’t give up.”
The former X Factor U.K. judge added: “I pray the justice system will hear and see each and every one of us — that’s my mission, and I will not stop talking about it, sharing our stories, freeing ourselves of guilt and shame.”