The Princess of Wales has received a unique honor from the King in recognition of her years of public service after being appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.
Kate, 42, has been made a Royal Companion of the organisation, founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievements 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 hundred-year history.
Sources say it is a symbol of the “high esteem” the princess is held by 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 received a unique honor from the King in recognition of her years of public service after being appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour. Above: Charles and Kate at the premiere of the James Bond film No Time To Die in 2021
Keen photographer Kate is a patron of the Royal Photographic Society and the National Portrait Gallery, as well as inspiring the lockdown motion 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 Honour, whose spiritual home is the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, is restricted to 65 members from across the Commonwealth.
He 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.
Her appointment is one of a series of new appointments made today/yesterday by Her Majesty which include honors for four senior royals.
Kate, 42, has been made a Royal Companion of the organisation, founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievements 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 “high esteem” the princess is held by her father-in-law, King Charles. Right: The honor
Queen Camilla will be Grand Master and First or Principal Lady of the Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, which is a fairly traditional appointment for the monarch’s wife.
Previous Grand Masters have included Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was appointed when Queen Elizabeth was crowned 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 section of society, both military and civilian.
Also honored has been Prince William, appointed Grand Master of the Most Honorable Order of Bath, following in the footsteps of his own father when he was Prince of Wales.
The ancient order was established by King George I in 1725, but is believed to have originally dated 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 of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s oldest order of chivalry, have also been announced.
They include the Duchess of Gloucester, who is married to the late Queen’s cousin and remains a royal, who will become a Royal Lady Fellow of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
The appointment will be seen as a thank you for his decades of loyal service on behalf of the monarch and the more than 60 charities and organizations she supports.
The new Knight Companions are Air Chief Marshal Lord Peach, the UK’s special envoy to the Western Balkans, who was previously NATO military chief and Chief of the Defense Staff and chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, and Lord Kakkar , president of the Thrombosis Research Institute. and chairman of The King’s Fund.
The most striking quote, however, is from Lord Lloyd-Webber, the UK’s most successful living composer who has written the scores for some of the world’s most famous musicals, including Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Jesus Christ Superstar . He also owns six of London’s best-known West End theaters.
Every June, the Garter is celebrated with a procession and service in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The appointment of the Knights and Ladies of the Garter is a gift from the King and is done without advice or interference from the Prime Minister.