Queen gives title to duke marking 70 years wed
BRITAIN: What to get the man who has everything?
As she celebrated a recordbreaking 70th wedding anniversary yesterday, the Queen found just the thing: a new honour for the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen has appointed her husband Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), honouring him for ‘‘services to the sovereign’’ on their platinum anniversary.
The gesture will be seen as formal recognition of the devotion the duke has shown through seven decades of marriage, supporting her privately and publicly even since his official retirement from public duties in the summer.
The appointment makes him the first British citizen awarded four order of chivalry breast stars since Lord Mountbatten of Burma, the duke’s uncle.
It is thought that the duke, 96, is the only living person honoured with all four, as he becomes GCVO, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG), a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle (KT) and a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE).
The joint record with Mountbatten is particularly poignant given their close relationship, with the duke’s uncle instrumental in encouraging the early courtship of the young Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
He is already the recipient of many other honours including: the Order of Merit (OM); Order of New Zealand (ONZ); Queen’s Service Order of New Zealand (AK); Knight, Order of Australia (AK); Companion, Order of Canada (CC); and Commander, Order of Military Merit, Canada (CMM).
As the longest serving royal consort in British history, he and the Queen, the nation’s longest reigning monarch, have become the first royal couple to celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary, eclipsing George III and Queen Charlotte’s 53 years.
Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen and bestowed independently of Downing Street. In 2007, the Queen bestowed the Royal Victorian Chain upon the duke on their 60th anniversary.
The Queen presented her husband with the honour at Windsor Castle, where they are marking their anniversary privately with about 150 members of their family and close friends.
A dinner saw the State Apartments of Windsor Castle closed as family members from around Europe travelled to celebrate the milestone.
In the morning, the duke enjoyed a carriage ride in Windsor ahead of the dinner, accompanied by his nephews, Prince Ludwig of Baden and Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, the sons of his late sister Theodora.
The Prince of Wales was due to travel to Windsor fresh from his trip to the Caribbean islands, to join his three siblings and their spouses for the event.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were also expected to attend with Prince Harry, whose girlfriend, Meghan Markle, was reportedly spotted flying to London at the weekend.
In the afternoon, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang out in tribute, with a full celebratory peal lasting about three hours and 20 minutes.