The Queen Gifts Kate A Special Family Honour: What’s The Meaning Behind It?
Last night, Queen Elizabeth hosted a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in honor of Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima’s visit.
King Willem-Alexander is making his first official state tour of the UK after ascending to the throne in 2013 following his mother Queen Beatrix’s abdication.
Among the other guests at the lavish event were Prince William and wife Kate too.
The Duchess looked stunning as ever, but the main topic of discussion was her choice of headwear. She donned one of Princess Diana’s tiaras, known as the Lover’s Knot tiara as she and Prince William attended the banquet. Her matching pearl earrings also belonged to Princess Diana.
However, those weren’t the only pieces of jewelry that had some hidden meaning to it. Kate also wore a gorgeous gold brooch, which went perfectly with her blue Alexander McQueen gown. It was a yellow badge, with a brooch featuring a portrait of the Queen.
And it actually holds more significance that one may realize at first.
The brooch was actually the Royal Family Order, a personal gift from the 92-year-old monarch. It was not made from the usual ivory, instead of being made from glass. According to Majesty magazine, the glass paid homage to her husband Prince William’s ban on ivory.
This is not the first time that Kate had been seen wearing the special gift. She fore it for the first time when she attended the Diplomatic Corps reception.
The Royal Family Order is a special honor given to female family members as a thank you for their service. Late Diana also was given one during her marriage to Prince Charles. She wore it to occasions like the state banquet in Brisbane, Australia in 1983 during her official visit there.
On Monday, a day before the state banquet with the Dutch royal family, Prince William and wife Kate were spotted in London.
But they were not alone! They took their youngest child, Prince Louis, with them to the capital. It is believed that while they were attending the formal event, grandma Carole Middleton looked after 6-months-old Louis.