They’re each undergoing treatment for cancer, but that hasn’t stopped Kate Middleton from receiving a new royal title from King Charles and it says a lot about her future as the (prospective) Queen of England. The Princess of Wales announced in March 2024 that she was having “preventative chemotherapy” after receiving a cancer diagnosis earlier in the year.
On April 23 (her son Louis’ 6th birthday, no less), the King dubbed his daughter-in-law the Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour—the first Royal Companion named to this order. The Order of the Companions of Honour was established in 1917 by King George V. It is awarded for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry, or religion.
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Unlike most other British orders, the Order of the Companions of Honour has a limited membership, with a maximum of 65 members at any one time. Recipients of this honor are entitled to use the post-nominal letters “CH” after their names. Middleton joins rank with Sir David Attenborough, Elton John, Anna Wintour, Judi Dench, and Maggie Smith.
“He has always had a very good bond with her. I don’t think it is presumptuous to say that she is like the daughter he never had,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith observed to People. “He shares with William an impulse to protect her. They are in this together, Kate and the King.”
It comes after Prince Edward also received a new title as a member of the prestigious Order of the Thistle. He showcased his regalia for the title for the first time during a public appearance on April 12, 2024, while attending the dedication for a new vessel in Leith, Scotland, per Us Weekly.
The 60-year-old royal, who also serves as the Commodore in Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, donned his ceremonial military uniform adorned with a silver medal featuring a gold emblem, symbolizing his new membership in the Order of the Thistle.
He was appointed to the order in March 2024 by his older brother King Charles in celebration of his 60th birthday. “On the occasion of The Duke of Edinburgh’s 60th birthday tomorrow, His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to appoint His Royal Highness to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle,” the royal family shared in a statement via X on March 9, 2024.