Prince William has arrived in Scotland without his wife Kate Middleton to pay a special tribute to Queen Camilla and Prince Edward at a special ceremony.
The Prince of Wales sent a strong message to his younger brother Prince Harry by supporting the Queen as she and the Duke of Edinburgh officially became members of the Order of the Thistle at a service celebrating Scotland’s greatest order of chivalry.
Camilla, 76, and Edward, 60, were appointed Royal Knights of the Order by the monarch in a private ceremony, also attended by heir to the throne Prince William.
On Wednesday, July 3, the duo were formally installed at a service in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Prince William made a solo appearance at the event as the Princess of Wales is out of action due to her ongoing chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis.
King Charles, 75, is the sovereign of the Order of the Thistle, and appointments are his personal gift made independently of Downing Street.
The Queen is patron of Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres, founded in Edinburgh in 1996 and now with centers across Scotland, England, and Wales. She is also patron or president of a number of charities based in Scotland, including Crathie Opportunity Holidays, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme, and Horseback UK.
Any new honor to Queen Camilla might be felt as a blow to Harry, who allegedly feels she's the one who somehow made him upset with her incursion into the King's life.
Camilla is additionally an honorary member of the local Ballater Women’s Institute and the Upper Deeside Art Society. Meanwhile, Prince Edward holds several patronages of Scottish charitable organizations including the Edinburgh International Festival.
Lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy and Scotland’s first black professor Sir Geoff Palmer were also appointed to the order. King Charles and the Queen will also attend an event marking the start of celebrations commemorating the 900th anniversary of Edinburgh Castle.
