Queen grants Kate highest seal of approval on eighth wedding anniversary

Kate has been made a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

The Duchess of Cambridge has been awarded a prestigious honour by the Queen in recognition of her service since becoming a member of the Royal Family.

Kate has been made a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, eight years to the day since marrying Prince WIlliam.

Awards under the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) are made personally by the Queen, not on the recommendations of Downing Street, for services to the sovereign.

The Dame Grant Cross is equivalent to being made a Knight and the highest honour in the Order.

It was started by Queen Victoria in 1896 as a personal way of showing her gratitude to those who had served her.

Originally only men could be awarded the honour, but in 1936, during the reign of Edward VIII, it was amended so women could also be awarded the honour.

The RVO has five classes from member to Knight or Dame Grand Cross, and Kate follows in the footsteps of the Duchess of Cornwall, who received the same honour in 2012.

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During her time as a Royal, Kate has championed her own causes like supporting the early years development of children, and raising awareness about mental health.

She has also undertaken a number of foreign engagements representing the Queen abroad.

The honour reveals the esteem in which Kate is held by the Queen and reflects her growing prominence as a senior member of the royal family.

The monarchy’s official website said: ‘She has been hugely inspired by the leadership the Queen has provided for over 60 years and will continue to play her part in supporting and celebrating the Queen in the UK and around the Commonwealth wherever possible.’

Kate has joined the Queen at national events like the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, celebrating the Queen’s official birthday at Trooping the Colour and joining members of the monarchy to welcome visiting heads of state.

William and Kate wed on April 29 2011 at Westminster Abbey and have since had three children – Prince George, Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis.

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Over the past eight years the duchess has become patron of the National Portrait Gallery and Natural History Museum to becoming royal patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

Royal tours undertaken on behalf of the Queen have taken William and Kate from Tuvalu in the South Pacific to Canada, India and America.

Kate’s appointment comes just in time for the service for the order which, according to Majesty Magazine, will be held on May 3 at Windsor Castle.