Celebrating a royal milestone, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is thrilled to stand alongside the Queen and Prince Charles for this special occasion.
Camilla has been formally invited into the oldest order of chivalry in the UK, the Order of the Garter.
The royal milestone took place in a private ceremony in the Garter Throne Room in Windsor Castle. Going forward, the duchess will be formally acknowledged as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter.
Reportedly, the duchess was “very pleased” to have the honour bestowed upon her and to celebrate the momentous occasion, Camilla, Charles and Her Majesty appeared in a royal portrait together.
Camilla was wearing an ostrich plume hat while she and Charles were both donned in traditional velvet robes. The Queen, who continues to struggle with mobility issues, stood in the middle of the royal couple wearing her Sovereign of the Garter sash and could be seen holding a cane.
The official portrait is both a celebration of Camilla’s achievement as well as a signal of the future of the monarchy. It comes after the Queen’s announcement earlier this year that it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla will become Queen Consort once Charles takes the throne.
Meanwhile, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew was banned from appearing at the ceremony. The senior royals reportedly told Her Majesty they would “pull out” of the royal event if the disgraced prince was given a public role. They feared “backlash” and insisted the Queen change the plans.
Andrew was told to stay out of sight “for his own good” following the tense family orders, however an unknown source close to the Duke insisted that it was his own “personal decision” not to appear in public.
Image: Getty Images
This article first appeared on OverSixty.