In an apparent boost to her royal status, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II said on Friday that she was designating her daughter-in-law Camilla, a member of the medieval Order of the Garter.
Camilla, the wife of the heir to the throne Prince Charles, has been added to the Order of the Garter, which already includes her children Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward, as well as her eldest grandchild Prince William — but not their wives.
Camilla’s inclusion comes as she has taken on increasingly important royal tasks in recent years and has seen her public approval rating rise. She married Charles in 2005.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348 by the queen’s ancestor King Edward III, is the world’s oldest chivalric order.
Knights and ladies are the titles given to its members. They dress in white ostrich plumes, blue velvet robes, and black velvet caps for an annual ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The order consists of a maximum of 24 non-royals chosen by the monarch himself.
It is the highest honor bestowed on a British citizen for great public service and achievement. Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair was also named a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter by the Queen on Friday, the highest British civil distinction.
He will be in good company with former Conservative Prime Minister John Major, who received the prize in 2005.
