Princess Kate given a new appointment to the Order of the Companions of Honour

Queen Elizabeth II was not a big fan of the then-Duchess of Cambridge. I’m not saying QEII had beef with Kate, but QEII did have some subtle ways of showing that Kate was far from her favorite married-in. QEII waited six and a half years to give Kate the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II, which is usually something given to royal wives after three or four years. QEII also waited until April 2019 to give Kate the Royal Victorian Order, and it felt like Kate was given GCRVO specifically because Kate was (at the time) weathering a lot of rumors about her husband’s alleged affair with their Norfolk neighbor, Rose Hanbury. Five years later, and Kate is once again in the middle of another sh-tstorm, likely of her husband’s making. So King Charles has dusted off a new shiny medal to give her for sticking with an unmoisturized Huevo.

Kate Middleton and Prince William are taking on new royal appointments. On April 23, which happens to be the sixth birthday of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ son Prince Louis, King Charles announced several new appointments, including for members of the royal family.

The King, 75, appointed his daughter-in-law Princess Kate, 42, as the Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour. In a history-making twist, she is the first Royal Companion named to this order. The Order of the Companions of Honour was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievements in the arts, sciences, medicine and public service. Members are limited to 65 at a time (although people from outside Commonwealth countries can be counted as additional honorary members) and currently include David Attenborough, Elton John, Anna Wintour, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

Prince William, 41, was appointed by his father to be Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. The role had been vacant since 2022 after King Charles, who held the role from 1974 to 2022, acceded to the throne.

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established by King George I in 1725 but is believed to originally date back as far as the eighth century. It is awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary service.

Queen Camilla also received a new appointment from her husband as the Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The Order of the British Empire was established by King George V in 1917 to honor a broader cross-section of society, both military and civilian. It comprises five classes, the two most senior of which makes the recipient a knight or dame.

The title of Grand Master has twice before been held by the monarch’s spouse with Prince Philip (1953 to 2021) and Queen Mary (1936 to 1953). King Edward VIII, who was known as the Duke of Windsor following his abdication, held the role from 1917 to 1936 as the Prince of Wales.

Keeping with the tradition of appointing new Companions to the Order of the Garter on April 23, the feast day of England’s patron saint St. George, King Charles named four members. This included a member of the royal family: the Duchess of Gloucester. The Duchess, 77, is the wife of the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin the Duke of Gloucester and a full-time working member of the royal family. Her appointment marks the first time a non-blood royal who wasn’t a spouse of the monarch or heir received the Order of Garter honor. The other three new Order of the Garter members include Air Chief Marshal Lord Peach, the Right Honourable Lord Kakkar and Lord Lloyd-Webber.

[From People]

It’s insane to me that the Duchess of Gloucester is getting the Order of the Garter honor and she’s the first married-in royal to get it. Like… I’m sure it’s about seniority, but damn, you know both Sophie and Kate would love to get the Garter robes or even the Order of the Thistle robes (I love the Thistle robes, they’re emerald green velvet and I would wear that cape everywhere). Kate will probably be pleased with the Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour, although it does feel like a “lesser” honor, something given to placate Kate. Will she accept the honor in person?? LOL. I don’t think that’s how it works – it’s just some fancy doodad which will appear with her sash and her few other medals for state dinners and state occasions. As for William’s new position… again, he should have been taking over ALL of Charles’s former positions right from the start. It’s shocking how long it’s taking to hand off everything.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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