The royal family experienced another historic moment on Monday when King Charles presided over his first Garter Day service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Along with the Princess Royal, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Charles, 74, was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, 75.
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Following the service, the royals left the Chapel in procession and rode in carriages back to the Castle.
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As they arrived at the service, the Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, and the Princess of Wales, 41, were seen joking around and laughing heartily.
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Catherine wore a custom Alessandra Rich polka dot dress with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a cinched-in waist, and she looked stunning in it. Princess Diana’s Collingwood Pearl Drop Earrings and a statement Philip Treacy hat finished off her ensemble.
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Sophie, in contrast, looked lovely in an Emilia Wickstead floral A-line dress adorned with vivid magenta flowers. The Duchess accessorized her stunning outfit with a pink headpiece by Jane Taylor, a clutch, and pointed heels. Sublime!
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Prince Edward and Sophie also had a special day on Monday as they celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary. In June 1999, the couple exchanged vows at St. George’s Chapel.
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Members of the Garter include the Duke of Kent, Princess Anne, the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
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When Prince William was appointed as the 1,000th Knight of the Garter in 2008, he created history.
As a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter, Camilla made her debut at the ceremony the previous year.
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Prince Andrew attended the lunch but not the ceremony, despite the fact that the Duke of York is a Knight of the Garter, just like the previous year.
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Following his contentious TV interview with BBC Newsnight in November 2019, Prince Andrew resigned from his position as a working member of the royal family. Meanwhile, Andrew lost his honorary military positions in January 2022 as a result of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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Princess Alexandra, the 86-year-old cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, chose not to attend the service on Monday “for her comfort”.
The Lord Patten of Barnes CH and the Baroness Ashton of Upholland GCMG were installed as Knight Companions and Lady Companions, respectively, of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, respectively, during the service.
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The King celebrated his first birthday with a parade in central London known as Trooping the Colour just two days prior to the Garter service.
Senior members of the royal family, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, three of his grandchildren, joined him.
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The parade came to an end with an impressive military flypast, which the royals witnessed from the balcony of Buckingham Palace while the people on The Mall cheered.
What is the Order of the Garter service?
King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter, which is the oldest and most prestigious Order of Chivalry in Britain. The King, who is the Sovereign of the Garter, the Queen, a number of members of the Royal Family, and 18 Knights or Ladies chosen in honor of their achievements are all members of the Order.
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The Sovereign personally selects Knights of the Garter to honor those who have held public office, made a particular contribution to national life, or rendered personal service to the Sovereign.
In addition to the twenty-four knights or ladies, the Order also has supernumerary, or “Stranger” Knights, who are foreign monarchs who have been appointed.
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2019’s Garter Day Service saw the installation of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and King Felipe of Spain as members of the Order.
