Princess Kate Makes History with New Appointment from Father-in-Law King Charles

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published 23 April 2024

Today would have been a big day for the Princess of Wales anyway—her youngest, Prince Louis, turns six years old—but April 23 has become even more special for Kate. As she continues to privately focus on her health following her March 22 announcement that she has been diagnosed with cancer, her father-in-law, King Charles, helped her make some history today, appointing her as the Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour.

Kate Middleton — As she continues to privately receive treatment for cancer, Kate received a big appointment today, and one that made history.

The Order of the Companions of Honour was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognize outstanding achievements in the arts, sciences, medicine, and public service. Members are limited to 65 at a time (although people from outside Commonwealth countries can be counted as additional honorary members) and currently include the likes of David Attenborough, Anna Wintour, Elton John, Judi Dench, and Maggie Smith, People reports. Kate makes history as the first Royal Companion named to this order, and is likely a reflection of her interest in the arts, as is evidenced through her work as patron of the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A Museum, and the Royal Photographic Society.

“He has always had a very good bond with her,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People. “I don’t think it is presumptuous to say that she is like the daughter he never had. He shares with [Prince] William an impulse to protect her. They are in this together, Kate and the King.”

King Charles and Kate Middleton — Kate has grown increasingly close to her father-in-law as both face private health battles.

Unfortunately, like his daughter-in-law, the King, too, is battling an undisclosed type of cancer, also discovered earlier this year. About six weeks after announcing his own diagnosis on February 5, on March 22 Kate announced via video message that she was undergoing treatment for the disease, and Charles was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” Buckingham Palace said.

A royal source speaking to People said that apart from being King and future queen, they are also “two patients going through a common health experience,” they said, noting they “are bound to have a close connection…I imagine there was some comfort [for Kate] in seeing…that it was possible to balance some private information without there being an imperative to share all.”

In addition to Kate’s appointment announced today, William and Queen Camilla have also been given new honors, as well.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.

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