The Royal Story The Royal Story
Kate smiled widеly as she was driven frоm Windsor Castle to the nеarby St George’s Chapel to аttend the service fоr the Order of the Garter. The Duchess of Cambridge shаred the car with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who аlso attended the sеrvice.
For the оccasion, Kate donned a blue cоat dress with a matching clutch bаg and a hat featuring a floral dеtail.
Sophie, on the оther hand, wore a pink dress with a bеige hat.
The two royals аttended the event as wivеs of Royal Knights of the Ordеrs – Prince William and Prince Edward.
Membеrs of the Royal Family rеached Windsor Castle earlier tоday to attend the investiture cеremony in the Throne Room.
This event saw Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, being officially admitted to the most noble and ancient order in the British honour system.
The ceremony was followed by a lunch at the castle, at which the royals in attendance, as well as the Ladies and Knights of the Order of the Garter, were invited.
The Queen and Prince Andrew are also believed to have attended these two key moments of Garter Day.
However, they did not take part in the procession to St George’s Chapel.
The Queen may have pulled out of the event due to her episodic mobility issues.
The Duke of York is understood to have missed the service following a “family decision”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The Duke of York will attend the investiture and lunch today but will not be part of the procession or service.”
Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties in mid-November 2019 and returned his military and royal patronages in January.
Nevertheless, he retained some of his honours, including the title of Knights of the Garter Order.
Prince Andrew’s absence is believed to have been a last-minute U-turn, as the Duke of York originally appeared on the Order of the service among those taking part in the procession.
While Kate and Sophie arrived by car, the Knights and Ladies of the Order walked down to the chapel in a procession.
The latest appointed Lady and Knight, Baroness Amoss and former Prime Minister Tony Blair, were at the front of the procession, while Prince Charles and his wife, who for the first time today donned the velvet robes of the Order, were at its end.
The Order of the Garter is the most senior order of knighthood in Britain and was founded by King Edward III almost 700 years ago.
It can count a total number of 24 Ladies and Knights among its non-royal members.
The sovereign of the order, currently the Queen, can appoint an unlimited number of members of the Firm and foreign sovereigns.
At the moment, all the children of the sovereign are counted among the Order members, as well as William, Camilla and the Queen’s cousins Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Gloucester.
Following the service at St George’s Chapel, the main royal party returned to Windsor Castle through a carriage procession.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared the horse-drawn carriage with Charles and Camilla, and were seen smiling and chatting amiably to one another.
Sophie and Edward also headed to the castle in a separate carriage.
