The Princess of Wales is reportedly just days away from receiving a brand-new royal honour in the form of a “birthday promotion”. Princess Kate will celebrate her 42nd birthday on January 9, with celebrations set to be “low-key”.
According to one source, the family will be marking the occasion quietly in Windsor as “the children are just about to start back at school”. The source said the day will be “just the family”, adding that this is “the way she likes it”.
Aside from the low-key celebrations, King Charles might even seal his daughter-in-law a brand-new position by appointing her as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter.
This title is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain and was first established almost 700 years ago by Edward III. The new appointment would cement her seniority in The Firm and is personally chosen by the monarch.
It will also place her alongside Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Princess Alexandra. Her husband Prince William is already one of the Royal Knights, alongside Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester.
After being an official member of the Royal Family for more than a decade, many senior figures reportedly feel that Princess Kate is ready for the new honour. She has often watched the annual Garter Day procession, whereby Knights and Ladies walk from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel.
The year 2024 is set to be a busy one for Princess Kate, who is also rumoured to be undertaking her first overseas visit in two years. As well as seeing royal duty as an important factor in her life, the Princess is known to want to prioritise being a mother to her three children.
It was reported last year that both Kate and William have made it clear that their three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five – will always come “before duty”.
Sources suggested that King Charles has pressured them to take on more royal duties, with the couple highlighting that the children will remain their main focus, especially as they “are so young”.
One source recently told OK!: “William and Kate have been put in a very difficult position of choosing between the right path for their family or the future of the monarchy.”
