King Charles Appoints Queen Camilla to Scotland's Highest Honor Before Second Coronation Celebration

Queen Camilla was also invested into the Order of the Garter last summer

King Charles III and Queen Camilla can be seen on the Buckingham Palace balcony ahead of the flypast during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023
King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Photo:

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Queen Camilla has a new royal role just in time for the coronation celebrations in Scotland!

On Friday, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles appointed his wife to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, the highest order of chivalry in Scotland. 

“The King has been graciously pleased to appoint The Queen to the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle,” the statement said. “The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle represents the highest honour in Scotland. Revived by King James VII, the Order has a complement of 16 Knights (KT).”

BRAEMAR, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 03: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend the Braemar Highland Gathering at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park on September 3, 2022 in Braemar, Scotland. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The order recognizes 16 Knights and Ladies for their contribution to national life, and appointments are awarded as a personal gift from the reigning monarch. King Charles, 74, Princess Anne and Prince William are all members, and induction comes with quite the regal outfit. Members wear traditional dark green robes and black velvet hats with white ostrich feathers for ceremonial duties, which Charles and Anne most recently sported for an installation at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh last year.

RELATED: King Charles Is Having a Second Coronation Celebration! All About What's Happening in Scotland 

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne, Princess Royal, attend the Thistle Service at St Giles’ Cathedral
Prince Charles, Princess Anne. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Camilla’s appointment is effective immediately, and Buckingham Palace shared more about her ongoing work in Scotland. The Queen, 75, has served as Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen since 2013 and visited the college in January.

Before Charles’ accession, she served as Patron of Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres and visited the hubs across Scotland. Queen Camilla has also acted as patron or president for national charities like Crathie Opportunity Holidays, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme and Horseback UK, and highlighted the important work of organizations including South Ayrshire Women’s Aid and Target Ovarian Cancer.

A champion of the arts like her husband, Queen Camilla has visited art galleries across Scotland, supported literacy festivals and stopped at local schools for projects promoting literacy. The royal also has relationships with Scottish military units like the 3 Rifles and HMS Astute and had the honor of launching the HMS Prince of Wales in 2017 by smashing a bottle of whisky against the ship.

In June 2022, Camilla was formally invested by Queen Elizabeth into the Order of the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry in the U.K. The milestone came months after Queen Elizabeth announced that it was her "sincere wish" that Camilla be known as Queen Consort when Charles acceded one day.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend the Order Of The Garter Service at St George's Chapel
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage


RELATED: How to Watch Trooping the Colour 2023, King Charles' First Birthday Parade as Monarch 

That change came in September, when the palace announced Queen Elizabeth died “peacefully” at age 96 on Sept. 8, hours after her doctors announced they were “concerned” for her health. Though Charles immediately succeeded as King, his coronation was not held until May 6. 

One month after the historic service at Westminster Abbey, the Scottish government announced that a second celebration will be held in Edinburgh on July 5 in honor of the crowning — with a distinctly Scottish spin! The King and Queen will be fêted with special processions and a church service during Scotland's Royal Week, and Prince William and Kate Middleton — a.k.a. the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as they are called in Scotland! — will also be in attendance.

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Camilla’s appointment to the Order of the Thistle comes on the eve of Trooping the Colour, the first birthday parade held for King Charles in London. She isn’t the only member of the royal family to receive a new honor this week, however!

On Thursday, SophieDuchess of Edinburgh, was invested as a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St John, formalizing a promotion from Queen Elizabeth last year.

The Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, has served as president of St John Ambulance England, a charity teaching first aid and other lifesaving skills, since 2004. 

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