King Charles III has given Prince William's wife Kate Middleton an extraordinary gift ahead of the royal family's Christmas gathering at Sandringham. Kate Middleton has become Colonel of the Irish Guards, a role previously held by her husband. The Buckingham Palace said that three members of the family have been appointed Colonels within the Foot Guards, including Queen Consort Camilla as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.
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Colonel of the Grenadier Guards role was previously held by Duke of York Prince Andrew but has been vacant since he was stripped of his royal titles. Meanwhile, Prince William will take the Colonel of the Welsh Guards title from his father. Buckingham Palace also said there will be no change to the existing Colonelcies of the other Regiments within the Household Division.
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Commenting on the change, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said, "When the Princess of Wales turns 41 on January 9 she will have given remarkably loyal and conscientious service to the Royal Family for over a decade. King Charles’s decision to reward her with the Colonelcy of the Irish Guards, a post formerly occupied by William, is both symbolic of her stature as the future Queen Consort and of the trust he has in her loyalty and abilities.
{{/usCountry}}Commenting on the change, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said, "When the Princess of Wales turns 41 on January 9 she will have given remarkably loyal and conscientious service to the Royal Family for over a decade. King Charles’s decision to reward her with the Colonelcy of the Irish Guards, a post formerly occupied by William, is both symbolic of her stature as the future Queen Consort and of the trust he has in her loyalty and abilities.
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“She and William are indeed the perfect royal couple as well as the world’s most glamorous, hence the phenomenal worldwide interest in everything they do.Her work on the importance of the early years of childhood is of considerable significance too. The Irish Guards, a historic regiment of foot founded in 1900, have every reason to be proud of their new royal Colonel,” the expert added.