Dame Tracey Emin: Investiture Ceremony Held At Buckingham Palace 

Dame Tracey Emin Damehood

King Charles III has appointed the artist Tracey Emin a Dame Commander for services to the arts at Buckingham Palace. The event took place earlier today (Tuesday, 4 February). The investiture ceremony that took place in the grand room was a juncture of excitement and reflection for the artist. She shared that she felt at ease meeting the King, having encountered him on several previous occasions, but described the experience as “amazing” nonetheless. “We talked about art, of course, because he is an artist, and it was nice,” she said.

Emin spoke candidly about her transition from being a disruptive force in contemporary art to receiving one of the nation’s highest honours. The 61-year-old reflected on how her work is now recognised for its profound social commentary.

“I think when I was younger, everybody thought I was moaning and screaming and whatever,” she said, “but now people understand that the work I was making was about important: women’s issues, teenage sex, rape, abuse… All of these things matter, and they matter more now. I think this is my time. So it’s wonderful that I’ve been rewarded for this.”

Dame Tracey Emin
Dame Tracey Emin Investiture Ceremony

Emin also noted the personal significance of the day, particularly in light of her mother’s absence. “My mum was with me last time (when I received my CBE), and she’s not with us any more, so I’ve been thinking about my mum today. It’s very special,” she said, her voice charged with emotion.

The artist, known for her blunt honesty, didn’t shy away from praising the aesthetics of her new accolade. “I looked at myself in the mirror when the King pinned it on me, and I thought, ‘My God, it’s so beautiful.’ The star is fantastic,” she said, adding that the medals reminded her of her late friend, the fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.

For Emin, the honour feels like a validation of her life’s work—a journey marked by raw vulnerability, bold creativity, and commitment to addressing brutal truths. As she put it, “This is my time.” And for those who have followed her career, it’s clear that Dame Tracey Emin’s voice remains as vital and resonant as ever.

Her gallery, Carl Freedman, said the following on Instagram: Dame Tracey Emin, presented by King Charles today for her services to art. ‘The artist hopes that this honour signifies a change in the role of female artists, stating, ‘All the great female painters were wiped out of history. Well, now they’re coming back.’ On accepting the damehood, Tracey remarked, ‘it gives me a louder voice to do the things that I think are important’.”

Dame Tracey Emin, born on 3 July 1963 in Croydon, London, is known for her raw, confessional subject matter. She has carved an original style blending autobiography with extraverted honesty to explore love, loss, and identity themes.

Raised in Margate, Kent, Emin’s early life was marked by hardship and turbulence, experiences that would later fuel her artistic practice. After studying at Maidstone College of Art and the Royal College of Art, she emerged in the 1990s as a leading figure of the Young British Artists (YBAs). This group redefined the UK’s art scene with bold, often confrontational works.

Emin first gained widespread attention in 1997 with ‘Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995’ a tent appliquéd with lovers, friends, and family names. However, her 1999 Turner Prize installation, My Bed—an unmade bed surrounded by detritus from her personal life—cemented her reputation as a fearless provocateur. The work sparked intense debate, challenging traditional notions of art and inviting viewers into the intimate chaos of her existence.

Over the years, Emin has worked across mediums, including painting, sculpture, neon text, and embroidery, often imbuing her pieces with an intensely personal narrative. Her neon works, such as I Promise to Love You (2013), have become iconic, blending vulnerability with a sharp, poetic edge.

In 2007, Emin represented Britain at the Venice Biennale. In 2011, she was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts, becoming the first female Royal Academician elected in the institution’s history. In 2013, she was made a CBE; in 2022, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to art.

Despite her success, Emin’s work remains polarising, often eliciting strong reactions for its explicit content and emotional intensity. Yet, this rawness has endeared her to many, making her a powerful voice for authenticity in an often-opaque art world.

Back in her hometown of Margate, Emin continues to create, her work evolving with age and experience. In 2020, she revealed a battle with bladder cancer, a struggle that has further inspired her recent output, including a return to painting. She has also opened a private art college in the seaside town, giving her local community a kickstart.

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