Kate Middleton Just Received a Special Honor from Queen Elizabeth on Her Wedding Anniversary
Kate Middleton‘s eighth wedding anniversary is one to remember!
Queen Elizabeth named her granddaughter-in-law as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, the highest possible rank, on Monday – which happens to be Kate and Prince William‘s wedding anniversary. The Royal Victorian Order was created by Queen Victoria in 1896 to allow her to recognize people who helped her or represented her. The ruling monarch personally selects who is given the honor.
Kate is in great company. Fellow Knights and Dames Grand Cross include the Queen’s sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as well as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The position of Grand Master of the Order was created in 1937 and was occupied by the Queen Mother until her death in 2002. Queen Elizabeth then appointed her daughter, Princess Anne, to the spot in 2007.
The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 2017 on the couple’s milestone 70th wedding anniversary.
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Lower ranks in the Order are often given to palace employees and long-standing staffers for the dedicated service.
Prince Harry was named a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2015. Just last week while accompanying Kate to the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London, he wore the Maltese cross that serves as the symbol of his position around his neck.
The insignia for a Knight or Dame Grand Cross features an ornate Maltese cross surrounded by an eight-pointed silver star. In addition, the size of the badge is larger for the higher ranks. Keep an eye out for Kate to wear the symbol in the future!
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The honor comes just weeks after Kate, 37, and the Queen, 93, stepped out for their first-ever joint outing when the duo visited King’s College’s Strand campus in London.
The Queen arrived in a Stewart Parvin pink cashmere coat (accessorized with her pink sapphire and diamond brooch!) over a silk printed dress and a matching hat, while Kate opted for a grey Catherine Walker coat dress and one of her go-to black fascinators by Lock & Co.
Despite the moderate 55-degree weather, Kate and the Queen sweetly shared a blue blanket to cover their laps as they departed side-by-side in the backseat of a car, smiling and waving to eager fans hopeful to catch a glimpse of the duo.
