The Royal Family Just Named Olivia Colman an Official Commander

Published Nov 1, 2019

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3:30pm

Olivia Colman just received the royal treatment. (And no, it didn’t have anything to do with The Crown.)

Earlier today, the 45-year-old actress was honored with an investiture service at Buckingham Palace, where she was officially named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (or CBE).

According to the royal family’s official website, the Order was established in 1917 by King George V. The purpose is to reward individuals for their contributions in a variety of industries—in this case, entertainment.

During the service, Colman wore a checkered coat, which she paired with a black hat, heeled mules and earrings by Atelier Swarovski.

Princess Anne (pictured above) officiated the ceremony, which likely holds a special place in Colman’s heart. The actress is set to play the royal’s mom, Queen Elizabeth, in season three of The Crown, making it a timely moment.

To top it off, Colman recently won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Actress for playing Queen Anne in The Favourite, so she’s practically an honorary member of the royal family.

This isn’t Colman’s first visit to Buckingham Palace. The actress previously attended a reception, where she met Prince William and asked if he watches The Crown. (Full disclosure: He doesn’t.)

“He said, ‘No, no, dear. I don’t watch it,’” Colman told Vanity Fair.

On the bright side, this counts as a royal stamp of approval.

Greta Heggeness

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...

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