Catherine -The Girl Who Will Be Queen

Since marrying Prince William, future king of England, Catherine Middleton has been everything one would hope a future queen would be.  She is a loving wife and mother, engaged with the public, supportive of the Crown, and just plain beautiful in every way.  Her appearance at last week’s state dinner at Buckingham Palace in honor of the King and Queen of the Netherlands is one more evidence of that.  She was lovely in her Alexander McQueen gown, the Lover’s Knot tiara, necklace from the Queen’s great grandmother’s, (Queen Alexandra) Wedding Parure, and beautiful pearl drop earrings that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.  It all works together to truly create the look of a future queen.  She is stunning!

But as fantastic as this whole ensemble is, the most significant piece of this beautiful look is the yellow ribbon pinned to Catherine’s left shoulder.  It represents the approval, gratitude, and dare we say, blessing of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  This special jewelry piece is The Royal Family Order, an honour bestowed on female members of the Royal family, directly from the Queen, for dedication and diligence in their royal work.

The official description of The Royal Family Order is this:

“The Royal Family Order depicts a young Queen Elizabeth in evening dress wearing the ribbon and star of the Order of the Garter.  The Order, painted on ivory, (glass since 2017), is bordered by diamonds and is surmounted by a Tudor Crown in diamonds and red enamel.  The reverse, in silver gilt, is patterned with rays and depicts the royal cypher and St. Edward’s Crown in gold and enamel.  The watered silk ribbon is chartreuse yellow and formed into a bow.  It is worn pinned to the dress on the recipient on the left shoulder.”

As is noted in the description the medal has traditionally been made of ivory but beginning with Catherine’s Medal they will now be made with glass in response to Prince William’s work to protect wildlife environment.

Catherine has joined an elite group which includes William’s mother, Diana, as those whom the Queen has given this honor.

Besides Catherine, those who currently have the Medal are:

Anne, Princess Royal
(the Queen’s only daughter)

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
(the Queen’s daughter-in-law, wife of Prince Charles)

Sophie, Duchess of Wessex
(the Queen’s daughter-in-law, wife of Prince Edward)

Brigitte, Duchess of Gloucester
(wife of the Queen’s first cousin)

Katharine, Duchess of Kent
(wife of the Queen’s first cousin)

Though Catherine now officially has this important honor from the Queen, she also has perhaps an equally important honor…she is quickly becoming, like her late mother-in-law, Diana, the people’s princess.