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Duchess Catherine has just received a very special honour from the Queen on the same day as her eighth wedding anniversary to Prince William.
A statement released by Buckingham Palace today announced the Queen had appointed her granddaughter-in-law as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), the highest rank in the Order and the equivalent to a Knight.
“The Queen has been pleased to make the following appointment to the Royal Victorian Order,” the statement begins.
“To be a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) – HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.”
The Royal Victorian order was created by Queen Victoria in 1896, as a way for the sovereign to personally thank and honour those who have served the Sovereign or the monarchy in a particular way.
And it would seem Kate’s appointment comes just in time for the service for the order, which according to Majesty Magazine is going to be held on May 3 at Windsor Castle.
Kate will join a number of other members of the royal family who have been appointed to the Royal Victorian order which include Prince Harry and Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of York, Princess Alexandra, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent.
Anne, Princess Royal was appointed as the Grand Master, the position under the Sovereign, in 2007 by her mother, The Queen.
According to Town & Country other members of the Order also include British diplomats and even have honorary members such as Emperor Akihito of Japan and King Harald V of Norway.
Kate attends the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey last week. (Image: Getty)
Next time Kate attends a formal event her new honour will be visible for us all to see, as she’ll wear a blue sash, which all Dames and Knights wear, with a badge of a Maltese cross, the symbol of the Royal Victoria Order.
There are five different sizes of the cross, with the GCVO being the biggest of the five.
Current New Zealanders who are Knights and Dames Grand Cross include Dame Catherine Anne Tizard, who served as a Mayor of Auckland and the 16th Governor-General of New Zealand as well as Sir Don McKinnon, a former deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and the 4th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
