Carey Mulligan Makes a Case for Modern Tailoring at Windsor Castle

From here on out, Carey Mulligan will be our commander. The actor arrived to Windsor Castle this afternoon to meet King Charles III where she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Mulligan managed to keep her fashion cool while still appropriate for one of the United Kingdom’s highest civilian honors.

Forgoing a traditional jacket with lapels, Mulligan wore an ivory coat defined by its sculptural shape and unconventional composition. It featured a high mandarin collar, a scalloped hemline, and no visible closures. Textured jacquard fabric that created a raised effect added to the design. Down below, Mulligan went decidedly oversized. She slipped into a pair of barrel leg trousers in black, that she styled with structured glasses and sleek flats. She wore her blonde hair in a shoulder-length bob. Husband Marcus Mumford was by her side looking dapper in a double-breasted suit.

Mulligan was recognized by the King for her contributions to drama. She’s already collected a BAFTA and three Oscar nominations for her work in films like An Education and Promising Young Woman.

A CBE is among the highest honors within the Order of the British Empire, just one tier below a knighthood—where recipients are formally named Sir or Dame. The distinction is awarded to individuals in “recognition of the meaningful impact they’ve made through their work.” Previous winners have included everyone from John Galliano and Alexander McQueen to Cate Blanchett and Victoria Beckham. Even Blackpink were honored in 2023–they, too, dressed to the nines for the occasion.

“I feel so unbelievably lucky to get to do a job that I really, really love,” Mulligan told the press following the ceremony. “To have this kind of recognition on top is just sort of extraordinary to me.”