Kate Middleton bestowed with new honour - but there's a reason 'no other royal has had it before'
Kate Middleton has been bestowed with a new honour by King Charles, but a royal expert has claimed it is "one of the lowest orders" there is, meaning no member of the Royal Family has had it before. A new raft of honours was announced by the King on Tuesday and on the list was the Princess of Wales, who was appointed Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour.
But if the honour doesn't seem too familiar, royal blogger Gertrude Daly reckons there is a reason for that, as she says members of the family "usually receive much higher honours".
Kate has been a working member of the Royal Family for 13 years and is currently having some time away from her official duties after receiving a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
Her father-in-law the King, who was also diagnosed with cancer this year, made her the first royal to be appointed a Royal Companion in the order’s 107-year history and expert Gertrude has explained why the honour is so rare. She told the Daily Star: "Receiving any honour from the British Monarch is a show of recognition and praise. But, in terms of the Order of the Companions of Honour and where it falls in the hierarchy and precedence of honours, this is one of the lowest orders.
"Princess Kate is the first royal to receive this honour, which is very much an honour. But it is important to also recognise that the reason this honour was never given to other royals is because of how low it is. Royals usually receive much higher honours."
Gertrude added that Kate's previous honour, Grand Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, is more significant, adding that the other honours given out on Tuesday were some of the highest you can receive. She claimed that Kate's new title "pales in comparison" and said that it "seems like a consolation prize".
Meanwhile, the King broke with tradition to give the Duchess of Gloucester the prestigious Order of the Garter this week - something that many had expected Kate to receive next.
The Order of Garter is the UK's highest Order of Chivalry that is usually only bestowed on blood royals, with non-blood royals getting the honour if they are the consort or wife of the heir. However, Gertrude explained that the King puts length of service ahead of rank which would explain why he chose the Duchess of Gloucester, and added that it could put Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh in line for the honour next as she has a decade longer in service than Kate does.
This week, Kate and William have been celebrating their youngest child Prince Louis' sixth birthday, releasing an adorable, smiling photo of their now 6 year old son.
