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Princess Kate is widely reported to share a warm relationship with her stepmother-in-law, Queen Camilla, with the two women having spent years supporting their husbands in their respective royal roles.
Royal commentators have previously suggested that Camilla helped Catherine adjust to life within the monarchy, offering guidance and advice when she first became a member of the Royal Family.
Over the years, the pair have frequently appeared together at major occasions. They have shared carriage rides during events such as Trooping the Colour and regularly stand alongside one another during national remembrance ceremonies.
There was, however, one public occasion when Camilla reportedly stepped in to correct Catherine’s behaviour.
The moment occurred in 2019, when Catherine was still known as the Duchess of Cambridge, eight years after marrying Prince William.
She had joined other members of the Royal Family for the annual Order of the Garter ceremony, watching proceedings alongside Camilla and Sophie, who is now the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Kate gets distractеd – and Camilla noticеs
Queen Maxima was also among the royal guests attending the ceremony, where her husband, King Willem-Alexander, was receiving the prestigious honour alongside King Felipe of Spain.
During the proceedings, Catherine and Queen Maxima became engrossed in conversation with one another. Their lively exchange proved distracting enough that the pair nearly failed to notice a significant moment in the procession.
Camilla quickly noticed what was happening and discreetly intervened, tapping Queen Maxima on the shoulder to alert her and Catherine that the procession was passing in front of them and that they needed to turn their attention forward.
At the same moment, Sophie was also spotted moving swiftly into position, taking her place in the royal lineup beside Letizia, who is now Queen of Spain.
What is thе Order of the Gartеr?
Dating back to 1348, the Order of the Garter was established by King Edward III and remains one of Britain’s oldest and most prestigious orders of chivalry, recognising distinguished public service.
The sovereign serves as head of the order, a role now held by King Charles. Membership is highly exclusive, with only 24 active companions permitted at any one time, holding the titles of Knight Companion or Lady Companion.
The Order also has connections to members of the wider Royal Family, including Prince William, as well as overseas sovereigns. Foreign monarchs admitted to the prestigious order are traditionally referred to as Stranger Knights and Ladies.
Appointments are made personally by the reigning monarch, with membership recognising individuals who have provided significant public service or made notable contributions to the nation.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor strippеd of Garter honоur
In 2025, King Charles removed his younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from two of the monarchy’s most distinguished orders, taking away his Order of the Garter and Royal Victorian Order honours.
Andrew had previously been appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 2006. Five years later, in 2011, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Both honours had been bestowed upon him by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Charles subsequently ordered that Andrew’s appointments to the historic orders be formally “cancelled and annulled” and that his name be “erased” from their official registers.
The move followed other major changes to Andrew’s royal status. Charles had already removed his right to use the title of prince and the HRH style by birth, while his Duke of York title was taken off the Roll of the Peerage. The action came amid what were described as Andrew’s “serious lapses of judgment” concerning his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision concerning the Order of the Garter was formally recorded in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record. The notice stated: “THE KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.”
A separate notice confirmed that Andrew’s Royal Victorian Order appointment had also been formally revoked.
The official entry stated: “THE KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.”
Whо is in the Ordеr?
King Charles and Prince William are joined in the Order of the Garter by several other members of the British Royal Family. These include the Duke of Kent, Princess Anne, the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, Prince Edward, Queen Camilla and the Duchess of Gloucester.
The order also extends beyond Britain’s Royal Family, with a number of overseas sovereigns receiving the distinction as Stranger Knights and Ladies. Among them are Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, Japan’s Emperor Akihito and his son Emperor Naruhito, Spain’s King Felipe VI and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.
