Kate Middleton could receive a new prestigious title – if King Charles agrees to it

A royal expert has expressed his belief that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, "deserves" to receive a shiny new title – but caveated that it all depends on whether or not King Charles is in agreement.

Former royal butler, Paul Burrell, has said that the Princess is eligible for an Order of the Garter (a prestigious honour that has been around for nearly 700 years) for her dedicated service to the Royal Family.

"I wanted the King to invest Kate into the Order of the garter, but he didn't do it," Burrell is reported as saying. "I'm hoping that the King will invest Kate into the most notable order."

The Garter Day resumed in June 2022 (have paused for a couple of years during the pandemic) and it was announced – by the late Queen Elizabeth – that Queen Camilla was to receive the honour of 'Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter', so it's certainly plausible that the Princess could receive the same one day.

This year, the event (which was King Charles' first as Sovereign), held at Windsor Castle to celebrate "the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry", saw Catherine in attendance but only to celebrate others who were newly appointed – including the Baroness Ashton of Upholland as a 'Lady Companion' and the Lord Patten of Barnes CH as a 'Knight Companion'.

"I'm hoping that he's going to do that, if he does it will make headlines, she deserves it. She's our future queen, she's a Princess of Wales, it's time for her to become a Lady member of the Garter," added Burrell on his hopes that the King will honour her in this way. "She doesn't have to wait for someone to die because there's no limit on royal members of the Garter."

The title was first born when King Edward III was so inspired by tales of King Arthur and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table that he set up his own group of honourable knights. The annual Garter Day procession, where the King and the Knights process in velvet robes and plumed hats, "is one of the most traditional ceremonies in the royal calendar".

Members today of course include the King, a number of senior members of the royal family including Prince William, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Gloucester, and 24 knights chosen in recognition of their work.

It seems only time will tell if Kate will be recognised as Royal Lady next year...

You Might Also Like

• A ranking of the very best hair straighteners - according to our Beauty Editors

• Best party dresses to shop in the UK right now

• 11 products you'd be mad to miss from the Net A Porter beauty sale