The special royal honour Queen Camilla has but Kate is still waiting on

All eyes were on the Princess of Wales during her appearance at the Order of the Garter ceremony held overnight (AEST) at Windsor Castle.

But as royal family members donned their ceremonial robes and plumed hats for the occasion, many fans were left wondering why Catherine was not dressed in the same traditional garb as her husband and other senior royals, including her stepmother-in-law, Queen Camilla.

Only members of the royal family who have been appointed Knight Companions of the Order of the Garter are permitted to wear the velvet robes and plumed hats during the annual event.

The Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior order of Knighthood in Britain, and was founded by King Edward III in 1348.

Membership is limited to the sovereign, the Prince of Wales and no more than 24 living members, or companions.

Appointments are at the sovereign’s sole discretion, and are typically made in recognition of national contribution, service to the Crown, or distinguished personal service to the monarch.

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King Charles was appointed a Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter in 1958 when he was nine, the same year he was created Prince of Wales.

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, was appointed to the Order of the Garter in 1994, and specifically asked to be a Royal Knight of the Order rather than the traditional title for females of lady of the Garter, or Lady Companion of the Order.

Outside of sovereigns or their consorts, she was the first royal woman to hold the title.

Prince Edward received his appointment in 2006.

That same year, the then-Prince Andrew was made Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter but this was cancelled by the King on Demember 1, 2025, as part of Andrew’s fall from grace, with the move also backdated to take effect on October 30, 2025.

Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, was appointed a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II on June 13, 2022, and her formal investiture took place at the Garter Day ceremony four days later.

The appointment of Camilla and two others, including former British prime minister Tony Blair, were the last by the late Queen, who died three months later.

Which brings us to Catherine, who is yet to receive the honour.

This is despite the fact lesser-known royals, including the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, are among those in the ranks.

The Duke received his appointment from the late Queen in 1997 while the Duchess was made a Royal Lady of the Garter by King Charles in 2024.

Catherine’s exclusion from this special club has been noticed by royal experts, including the Daily Express royal editor Emily Ferguson, who has been calling for her inclusion since 2023.

She said the princess’ exclusion, despite her prominent position within the royal ranks, left her appearing as a “royal outsider”.

“It’s time for King Charles to install his daughter-in-law − and future Queen − to the order as well,” Ferguson wrote.

“Appointing her to the Order of Garter is only fitting given she is now the Princess of Wales and her and William have had an increasing workload since other royals have relieved themselves of royal duties.

“While the honour tends to be reserved to royals born into the royal family, and not those who marry into ‘the Firm’, like Kate, there is a precedent for the spouse of the monarch and heir to be installed into the order.

“Queen Camilla was installed before King Charles become monarch and before her Prince Philip was appointed as a Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1948.”

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Prince Philip’s appointment, which came one year after his wedding to the then Princess Elizabeth, came six years before she became the monarch.

Which therefore begs the question: Why the wait?

Of course, Catherine has had a harrowing couple of years, beginning in January 2024, when it was announced she had undergone major abdominal surgery.

It was followed a couple of months later with the announcement she had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy.

She later announced she was in remission, and has spent the past year making up for lost time, embarking on a range of official royal duties, including her first overseas tour in four years just last month to Italy.

Charles made three new appointments on this year’s Garter Day, which brought the total number of Knights and Lady Companions to 23 out of a maximum 24.

Members of the royal family and foreign monarchs do not count among the 24 places, so her appointment would not have affected any future plans.

Charles is said to be very fond of Catherine. Appointing her would have been a fitting way to honour the woman he has referred to her as his “beloved daughter-in-law” as she inches closer to becoming queen.

As Ferguson stated back in 2023, “Kate rightly deserves to be recognised with an appointment to the Order of the Garter for her tireless work as a senior member of the Royal Family.

“She has championed pioneering work on early childhood and campaigns on a number of important causes, such as mental health and sports charities.

“[She] stepped up to the plate since the late Queen’s death and bore more responsibility owing to the Firm’s dwindling number of working royals since Harry and Meghan quit the fold and Andrew was forced to step down.

“The King must surely recognise her valuable work in boosting the popularity of the royal family too.”

According to Statista data from January 2026, Prince William is the most popular living member of the royal family, closely followed by his wife.

The percentage of respondents in Great Britain who had a positive opinion of William was 77 per cent, while for Catherine it was 76 per cent.

King Charles was further down the list at 60 per cent, ahead of his wife, who only had an approval rating of 42 per cent.

If such an honour is not forthcoming for Catherine from her father-in-law, it is almost certain that William will bestow the honour on her himself once he becomes King.