The King made history on 17 June when he formally welcomed The Duchess of Gloucester to the Order of the Garter.
King Charles had announced his appointees to the Order of the Garter on 23 April, St. George’s Day, when they are traditionally named. Monday marked the actual Garter Ceremony where Her Royal Highness became a Royal Lady Companion.
Brigitte, The Duchess of Gloucester, is a working royal and carries out many engagements- both with her husband and on her own- on behalf of the crown.
While she has been applauded for her commitment to her royal role, the announcement was still a surprise. She is the first royal woman named to the Order who was not born into it or married to the sovereign.
Prince Richard married Birgitte van Deurs Henriksen in 1972 and succeeded his father as Duke in 1974. The pair have been working royals for over 4 decades now, and in 1997, Prince Richard was named as a Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter.
The Order of the Garter was originally created in 1348 by King Edward III and is a chivalric order dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of England.
On Garter Day, members of the Order process throughout the grounds of Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel, the spiritual home of the Order.
