Highest female honour for Camilla

The Queen has appointed the Duchess of Cornwall to the highest female rank in the Royal Victorian Order, Buckingham Palace said yesterday.

The announcement that Camilla, 64, has been made a Dame Grand Cross comes on the day of the seventh wedding anniversary of the Duchess and Prince of Wales.

The couple wed on 9 April, 2005 in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor after a number of years as a couple.

Once seen as the “other woman” in the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, she has become an integral member of the Royal Family since the couple married.

Awards under the Royal Victorian Order are in the Queen’s personal gift and are given by the head of state to people who have served her or the monarchy in a personal way.

The order was founded in April 1896 by Queen Victoria as a way of rewarding personal service to her.

The Duchess of Cornwall has taken on a wide range of patronages and travelled extensively overseas with the Prince on official visits.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said Camilla will be invested with the insignia of her rank at a later date.