Earlier this week, Queen Camilla debuted the long-awaited Royal Family Order of King Charles III during the Japanese State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, almost two years into the new Reign. The Order is probably the most exclusive Honour of the United Kingdom, a piece of splendid insignia given to select female members of the Royal Family at the sole discretion of the Sovereign.
Awarded by the Sovereign to female members of the Royal Family, Royal Family Orders have been given since 1820, and they have usually been the first Honours awarded to Royal Ladies, with the most notable being the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert. The colour of the ribbon of the Order has changed with each reign, with the late Queen’s Order on a yellow ribbon.
The long-awaited Royal Family Order of King Charles III is painted in oil on polymin by Elizabeth Meek, ringed by 10.41 carats of ‘loose’ diamonds from the Royal Collection and suspended from a pale blue moiré silk bow created by Philip Treacy
The portrait is painted in oil on polymin by Elizabeth Meek and is based on a Hugo Burnand photograph taken at Windsor Castle in 2023, portraying the King wearing his Royal Navy uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet with the Insignia of the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, and the Royal Victorian Order.
Queen Camilla
Given: 2024
Other Honours: Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II (2007) Royal Victorian Order (2012), Order of the Garter (2022), Order of the Thistle (2023), Order of the British Empire (2024)
Queen Camilla is so far the only recipient of the Royal Family Order of King Charles III, but that may not be entirely due to the King being restrictive, but due to the time it takes to handcraft the individual orders, as narrated by the press:
For those wondering why only Queen Camilla is wearing the new Family Order, I believe it’s because each of these pieces are handcrafted and take time to make. I’d expect to see them ‘rolled out’ among female family members…..
Last December, we saw the lower portion of the bows of the Royal Family Orders of Queen Elizabeth II for both Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales had been shortened, possibly in preparation for the new Order.
We should expect the Royal Family Order of King Charles III to be worn by the Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Gloucester, and Princess Alexandra of Kent, as well as possibly Princess Charlotte.
Royal Family Order of King Charles III
King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Portrait Brooch
Ordensportrættet of King Frederik X of Denmark
Royal Family Order of King Harald V of Norway
Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
Recipients of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II:
The Queen Mother
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Order of the British Empire (1927), Order of the Garter (1937), Order of the Thistle (1937), Royal Victorian Order (1937)
Princess Margaret
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (1953) Royal Victorian Chain (1990)
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Order of the British Empire (1927), Royal Victorian Order (1937)
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Order of the British Empire (1937), Royal Victorian Order (1948), Order of the Bath (1975)
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Order of the British Empire (1937), Royal Victorian Order (1948)
Princess Alexandra of Kent
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (1960), Order of the Garter (2003)
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Given: 1952
Other Honours: Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, Order of the British Empire (1937), Royal Victorian Order (1948)
Duchess of Kent
Given: 1961
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (1977)
Princess Royal
Given: 1969
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (1974), Order of the Garter (1994), Order of the Thistle (2002)
Duchess of Gloucester
Given: 1973
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (1989)
Diana, Princess of Wales
Given: 1981
Countess of Wessex
Given: 2004
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (2010)
Queen Camilla
Given: 2007
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (2012), Order of the Garter (2022)
Princess of Wales
Given: 2017
Other Honours: Royal Victorian Order (2019)
