The Princess of Wales has been given a unique honor by the King in recognition of her years of public service after being appointed to the Order of Companions of Honour.
Kate, 42, was named a royal companion to the organization founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievement in the arts, sciences, medicine and public service.
The Mail understands it is the first time a member of the royal family has been named in the order’s century-old history.
Sources say it is a symbol of the “great regard” the princess has for her father-in-law, King Charles.
As well as being a personal thank you for her loyal service to the Crown since marrying Prince William almost 13 years ago, it is also a recognition of her contribution to the arts.
The Princess of Wales has been given a unique honor by the King in recognition of her years of public service after being appointed to the Order of Companions of Honour. Above: Charles and Kate at the premiere of the James Bond film No Time To Die in 2021
Passionate photographer Kate is patron of the Royal Photographic Society and the National Portrait Gallery, and she also inspired the moving lockdown photography project, Hold Still.
The appointment is not a direct gift from the king but is made by the Cabinet Office on his recommendation.
The Order of the Companions of Honor – whose spiritual home is the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace – is limited to 65 members from across the Commonwealth.
She is in good company as current members include Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Roy Strong, Sir Paul McCartney and JK Rowling.
His appointment is part of a series of new appointments made today/yesterday by Her Majesty, which include honors for four members of the royal family.
Kate, 42, was named a royal companion to the organization founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievement in the arts, sciences, medicine and public service. Above: Kate and Charles visiting the Defense Medical Rehabilitation Center (DMRC) in Loughborough in February 2020
Sources say it is a symbol of the “great regard” the princess has for her father-in-law, King Charles. Right: Honor
Queen Camilla will be Grand Master and First or Principal Lady Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is a fairly traditional appointment for the monarch’s consort.
Previous Grand Masters have included Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – who was appointed at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and remained so until his death in 2021 – as well as Queen Mary and King George VI, when he was Prince of Wales.
The Order of the British Empire was established by King George V in 1917 to honor a wider cross-section of society, both military and civilian.
Prince William was also honoured, appointed Grand Master of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, following in his own father’s footsteps when he was Prince of Wales.
The ancient order was created by King George I in 1725, but is believed to date back to the 8th century and was awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary service.
As is tradition on St George’s Day, four new companions to the Order of the Garter, Britain’s oldest order of chivalry, were also announced.
Among them is the Duchess of Gloucester, who is married to the late Queen’s cousin and remains a working royal, who will become a Royal Lady Companion of the noblest order of the Garter.
The appointment will be seen as a thank you for her decades of loyal service on behalf of the monarch and the more than 60 charities and organizations she supports.
Knight’s new companions are Air Chief Marshal Lord Peach – the UK’s special envoy to the Western Balkans who was previously NATO military chief, chief of the defense staff and chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee – and Lord Kakkar, Chairman of the Thrombosis Research Institute. and president of the King’s Fund.
The most notable nomination, however, is that of Lord Lloyd-Webber, the UK’s most famous living composer, who wrote the scores for some of the world’s most famous musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera , Cats and Jesus Christ Superstar. It also owns six of London’s best-known West End theatres.
Each June, the Garter is celebrated with a procession and service in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The appointment of Knights and Ladies of the Garter is a gift from the King and is carried out without advice or interference from the Prime Minister.
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