Camilla wins the highest approval Queen can bestow
She joins elite Order of the Garter after years of loyalty and discretion
THE Queen is personally awarding the Duchess of Cornwall the highest honour possible thanks to her ‘service to the sovereign’, it was announced last night.
Camilla is to be made a Royal Lady of the Most noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior of the Orders of Chivalry in Britain, Buckingham Palace said.
The appointment will be seen as a royal seal of approval for the loyalty and discretion Camilla has shown since her marriage to the Prince of Wales in 2005.
It will spark renewed speculation that the 95-year-old monarch may yet endorse Camilla to be Queen when she dies and Prince Charles accedes to the throne.
Clarence House says the ‘intention’ is for the duchess to become Princess Consort, showing sensitivity to previously negative public opinion over Camilla’s role in the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage.
But Charles has never made any secret of his desire for Camilla to become queen by his side. And it is known that the Queen has been impressed by the way in which her daughterin-law has embraced her public role and shown quiet and respectful dedication to both her husband and the institution of the monarchy.
It was also revealed that Baroness Amos is to be made a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter – the first person from an ethnic minority to be appointed.
She is a Labour politician and diplomat who has served as Un UnderSecretary-General for humanitarian affairs and British High Commissioner to Australia.
She was also Leader of the House of Lords and the chief executive of the equal Opportunities Commission.
The Order of the Garter was established by King edward III in 1348 after he was inspired by the tales of King Arthur and the chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table.
The number of Knights and Ladies Companion is limited to 24 in total at any one time. There is no limit to the number of royal members, however. Initially, the order’s members were limited to the aristocracy but they are now men and women chosen from a variety of backgrounds, in recognition for their public service, their contribution to national life, or their personal service to the sovereign.
The honour is personally bestowed by the monarch, with no interference from the Government.
The patron saint of the order is St George and the spiritual home is St George’s Chapel at Windsor. Its motto is ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’, Old French for ‘shame on him who thinks evil of it’. vacancies are announced on St George’s Day and only occasionally at new Year. It is thought that the Queen wanted this year’s announcement to tie in with the new Year’s Honours.
Prince Philip was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter by King George vI in 1947 – and it is believed that the Queen also wanted to ensure that both her son and his wife were members before her own change of reign.
A Garter Day procession is held each June before a short service in St George’s Chapel, at which any new companions are installed.