The Queen Appoints the Duchess of Cambridge Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary today, the Queen has bestowed an enormous honour on Kate. The Duchess has been appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order for services to the Sovereign.

Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are made personally by the Queen. Below, the press release from Buckingham Palace this evening.

The Royal Victorian Order was established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognised personal service to the monarch. More on the history of the order: "Prior to the close of the 19th century, most general honours within the British Empire were bestowed by the sovereign on the advice of her British ministers, who sometimes forwarded advice from ministers of the Crown in the Dominions and colonies (appointments to the then most senior orders of chivalry, the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, had been made on ministerial advice since the 18th century and were not restored to the personal gift of the sovereign until 1946 and 1947, respectively. Queen Victoria thus established on 21 April 1896 the Royal Victorian Order as a junior and personal order of knighthood that allowed her to bestow directly to an empire-wide community honours for personal services. The organisation was founded a year preceding Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, so as to give the Queen time to complete a list of first inductees. The order's official day was made 20 June of each year, marking the anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne."

A Knight or a Dame Grand Cross (which Kate received) is the highest rank. The Countess of Wessex and The Duchess of Cornwall received the same honour, in 2010 and 2012 respectively. In 2015, Harry was officially made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. The Duke of Edinburgh was only appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 2017. Royal historian Marlene Koenig notes Charles and William have not received appointments, because as heirs, they will head the order one day. RVO's are also given to staff members; earlier this year Kate's assistant Natasha Archer was made a member. Below, the grades of the order.

Wikipedia adds:

'The reigning monarch is at the apex of the Royal Victorian Order as its Sovereign, followed by the Grand Master; the latter position was created in 1937 and was occupied by Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) from that date until her death in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II then appointed her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal, to the position in 2007.'

More from Victoria Murphy:

'In addition to Kate, members of the royal family who have been appointed to the Royal Victorian Order include Prince Harry, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke of York, Princess Alexandra, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Prince Michael of Kent.

But being a member of the British royal family isn't a requirement. The list also includes British diplomats and others who have served the monarchy in some way, and there are even some honorary members, such as Emperor Akihito of Japan and King Harald V of Norway, to name just two.'

At white-tie functions such as State banquets, we will see Kate wearing a blue sash with red and white trim and the star of the order in recognition of the appointment. Should the Cambridges participate in the upcoming US State visit in June, we'll see it then.

Below, the Duchess of Cornwall wearing the sash and star.

A detailed view of the gold embroidered star.

Below, the Countess of Wessex wearing the riband of a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

This star from the Order was King George V's.

In 2017, Kate received the Royal Family Order from Her Majesty. The Duchess was first photographed wearing at the Dutch State banquet last October. The order is a personal memento rather than a state decoration.

Majesty Magazine's Joe Little notes a service for the Royal Victorian Order will be held on Friday 3, May at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. It's very likely we'll see Kate there. The service is held every four years in Windsor because the Chapel of the Order, the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy in London, is too small to house the number in attendance.

A royal source told reporter Rebecca English the Duchess is "honoured". It's a very special gift from Her Majesty.

And on that note, wishing the Cambridges a very happy 8th wedding anniversary!

I can still vividly remember the excitement on the day of the wedding and how I thought: "Maybe, I'll start a blog..." :)

We'll see Kate on Wednesday for her visit to the Anna Freud Centre.

Kate and Harry Attend Anzac Day Service at Westminster Abbey

The Duchess of Cambridge attended the annual Anzac Day service of commemoration and thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.

With Baby Sussex due any day now, Prince Harry made a last-minute decision to attend. A royal source told the Daily Mail: "The Duke is pleased he can attend today's Service, as planned. With their baby due, his name was not printed in the programme in case he was unable to do so." Harry and Meghan toured Australia and New Zealand last October, it was fitting for the prince to be there today.

Photos of Kate and Harry interacting have always been a joy to see. It was a treat to see them together today, especially for an incredibly important service.

I'm sure Harry is counting down the minutes at this point. I'm reminded of how protective he was of his sister-in-law when she was expecting George. During an interview he said: "I just only hope that she and him - but mainly Catherine - hopefully that she gets the necessary protection to allow her as a mother-to-be to enjoy the privacy that comes with it."

An arrival video.

This year marks the 104th anniversary of the landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25th April 1915.

At Gallipoli, Australian and New Zealand forces fought for the first time under a united command as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or more famously the ANZACs. The Gallipoli campaign exacted a heavy toll on both sides. Some 50,000 Allied troops from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Newfoundland and India lost their lives. Including those wounded or evacuated for sickness, the total number of Allied casualties number around 250,000. The Turkish forces lost over 86,000 in addition to those wounded.

Anzac Beach in 1915.

The Palace added: "Anzac Day has been commemorated in London since the first anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli in 1916, when King George V attended a service at Westminster Abbey and more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets. Since then, Anzac Day has become an important moment to recognise the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who died during the landings, and to honour the sacrifices of men and women in all wars. Anzac Day is commemorated as a public holiday in both countries with memorial ceremonies held at various locations."

Westminster Abbey unearthed a powerful piece of audio featuring Australian Dr Agnes Bennett, who treated the wounded from Gallipoli. Dr Bennett attended the first Anzac Day service in London in 1916. She recalled: "I was privileged to be there and felt that no greater honour could be done to our men. There were few dry eyes. The ANZACs had indeed graduated as citizens of Empire." Click here to listen to the audio.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance for Australia and New Zealand. It is commemorated as a public holiday in both countries with memorial ceremonies held at various locations.

The royals were greeted by the Dean of Westminster.

The Duke of Gloucester was also in attendance.

He is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Army Education Corps and Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps.

Guests included The High Commissioner for Australia, George Brandis, the Deputy High Commissioner for New Zealand, David Evans, the Turkish Ambassador, Ümit Yalçın, members of the Armed Forces from Australian, New Zealand, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and young citizens of Australia and New Zealand.

The Dean of Westminster gave The Bidding with New Zealand in mind: "The spirit of national pride encourages us, as we bring to mind in particular the recent terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. We pray for an end to terror and for the triumph of peace."

The flags of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Turkey were presented at the High Altar.

David Evans, Deputy High Commissioner for New Zealand read St John 20: 19-23: 'Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.'

The London Māori Choir sang How Great Thou Art.

Afterwards, Kate met guests and representatives.

A very nice moment captured.

The Duchess departing.

In 2014, the Cambridges marked Anzac Day in Australia on the final day of their tour.

Meanwhile, Prince William marked Anzac Day by laying a wreath of behalf of the Queen at the War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand.

William is spending two days in the country following the Christchurch tragedy. Fifty people lost their lives during two consecutive terrorist shootings at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch. The ages of those killed ranged from 2 to 71. An additional fifty people were injured. William has been meeting with families, victims and first responders, telling them; "you did an incredible job on a very bad day". He has accompanied Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on several events including the Anzac Day service, the PM has shown tremendous leadership.

The Duchess looked regal in a custom teal Catherine Walker coatdress for the service. Laura notes the garment is based on the Amber Coatdress which features "A clever diagonal fastening of dimpled gold buttons adds further interest to this sharp peacock blue coatdress." It's a classic Walker silhouette and very much in keeping with Kate's favoured styles for similar occasions.

The Duchess wore the Rosie Olivia Varick Hat (with thanks to Laura). The almond shaped hat with curled pheasant trim retails for £440. 

The talented milliner studied at Central St Martins in London before completing internships with Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones. There's a special royal connection linked to her success; Rosie received funding to set up her own business from The Prince's Trust, which has been a cornerstone of Charles' work since 1976. 

Kate injected a touch of emerald green into the look with her Emmy London Rebecca pumps and a matching clutch.

And accessorised with her Kiki McDonough Blue Topaz and Diamond Drop Earrings in White Gold. The £3,500 pair are blue topaz oval and cushion cut stones surrounded by diamonds set in 18ct white gold.

The Duchess wore the matching £1400 Kiki Eden Blue Topaz and 18ct White Gold Flower Necklace.

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In other news, the Palace has announced upcoming May engagements for the Duchess.

1 May - The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, will officially open the new Centre of Excellence at Rodney Street, London N1, on Wednesday 1st May. Her Royal Highness will also visit Pears Family School in its new building and meet with children and their families participating in a music class.

One week later, Wednesday, 8 May, it's a return to Anglesey.

8 May - William and Kate will firstly visit Caernarfon Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter Base. Until 2015, search and rescue operated out of RAF Valley on Anglesey, where the Duke worked as an RAF search and rescue pilot between 2010-2013. Their Royal Highnesses will view the Coastguard’s new Sikorsky S92 helicopters, and meet members of the search and rescue team, many of whom previously worked alongside the Duke at RAF Valley. The Duke and Duchess will then join a discussion with crewmembers about the mental health challenges that result from working as first responders. From Caernarfon, Their Royal Highnesses will travel to Anglesey to visit Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt, a thriving local business which has been operating for over two decades and which won the Queen’s Award for Sustainability in 2017.

It was a beautifully conducted service as always.

His Royal Cuteness: Prince Louis' First Birthday Photos!

William and Kate's baby is one! To mark the first birthday of Prince Louis tomorrow, Kensington Palace released three photos taken by the Duchess earlier this month. My goodness, he has changed so much since we last saw a photo of him for the Cambridge Christmas card. He's a gorgeous little boy, and very much like his siblings, has such an expressive face. I've noted several times I think he favours his mum, the likeness in these photographs is really quite striking.

Kate chose the garden of their leafy country home, Anmer Hall, as the backdrop for Louis' birthday photos. Louis is dressed in a red jumper and a similar blue one featuring a puppy on the front. Those Cambridge cheeks :)

The Palace said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to share three new photographs of Prince Louis ahead of his first birthday tomorrow."

More from The Telegraph's senior picture editor, Lee Martin.

'The Duchess of Cambridge’s photographs of Prince Louis, like other birthday pictures of her children, are a loving and personal moment captured on camera for the family album and the history books. You can employ a number of styles to portraiture and the Duchess has chosen the simple method of using natural light and a shallow depth of field. She has used both perfectly.

Placing Louis in a shaded area so that he is illuminated by diffused light avoids any harsh shadows across his face, while at the same time producing a bright colourful background. Because she has used a wide aperture, she has softened the background to a gentle blur, helping to isolate the subject and avoid distractions. She also avoids placing Louis directly in the centre of the landscape image, which is a definite plus in my book.'

Rebecca English notes Louis wore the £35 Trotters Little Puppy Jumper. It's described as: "Our bestselling Puppy Jumper for baby boys now comes in a smart denim blue colour and features our sweet puppy intarsia design on the front. Made in a soft, warm cashmere mix it's a must have for layering this spring."

Prince George's first birthday portraits were taken at the Natural History Museum by John Stillwell and Princess Charlotte's in Norfolk by Kate.

On a sunny St George's Day morning, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child on 23 April 2018. It all began shortly after 8 am when Kensington Palace confirmed the Duchess had been admitted to the Lindo Wing at 6 am in "the early stages of labour". Kate travelled from the Palace by car with William. At 1.05 pm, the Palace confirmed the Duchess had been safely delivered of a son weighing 8 lbs 7 oz at 11.01 am.

A few short hours later, Kate was ready to depart for home. As with George and Charlotte, they posed on the steps of the Lindo Wing to introduce their son to the world. Kate was undoubtedly feeling a mixture of emotions from sheer joy to exhaustion as she held her baby in her arms. She chose a bespoke Jenny Packham red dress with a white lace peter pan collar.

The newborn, fifth-in-line to the throne, was the first in history not to overtake a female sibling in the line of succession. The Telegraph noted: "Under the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, the male-preference primogeniture was replaced with absolute primogeniture. The act meant any royal born after 28 October 2011 would precede his or her siblings, regardless of sex. It means Princess Charlotte remains fourth in line to the throne with the new (male) baby at fifth in line."

Our first proper look at the prince came on 5 May when the Palace shared two photos to provide a glimpse at Louis and to celebrate Charlotte's birthday. This image of big sister Lottie kissing her brother is darling.

And this one :)

Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge was baptised at The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, on 9 July.

The occasion marked the first time the Cambridges had been publicly seen together as a family of five.

The intimate christening was attended by the Charles, Camilla, the Sussexes, Middletons and godparents. The couple chose Kate's cousin Lucy Middleton and close friends Nicholas van Cutsem, Guy Pelly, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, Laura Meade and Hannah Gillingham. Kate couldn't take her eyes off Baby Louis at the christening and was photographed gazing lovingly at him in several of the images.

The portraits were taken at Clarence House's Morning Room following the christening at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, by renowned photographer Matt Holyoak. The photographer said "I was truly honoured at being asked to take the official photographs at the christening of Prince Louis, and to witness at first hand such a happy event. Everyone was so relaxed and in such good spirits, it was an absolute pleasure. I only hope I have captured some of that joy in my photographs."

The Palace released an additional photograph of Kate and Louis with the message "Their Royal Highnesses hope that everyone enjoys this lovely photograph of Prince Louis as much as they do." The photo was taken by Matt Porteous, the photographer took George's third birthday portraits.

There was a very special treat in store among Prince Charles' 70th birthday portraits; a fabulous photo of the Prince of Wales with Kate and Louis. In an interview with The Telegraph, the Duchess of Cornwall revealed: 'We had a picture the other day with Louis pulling on his hair, and he’s not one of those people who says ‘take your hand away’. He loves it. He’s exceptionally good with very small children and babies."

Louis had changed so much since his christening. Those expressions :)

There was a festive royal surprise from Kensington Palace in December with the release of a new family photograph of the Cambridges for their Christmas card. The image was taken last autumn at Anmer Hall and offered our last look at a smiling Louis.

His Royal Cuteness on the front pages.

Happy Birthday little prince!