Did Queen Elizabeth Underscore Kate Middleton’s Seniority With Royal Victorian Order?

Queen Elizabeth II recently bestowed a Dame Grand Cross in the Royal Victorian Order on Kate Middleton.

On the online forum site Quora, royal fans are wondering whether or not the move meant that Her Majesty underscored the Duchess of Cambridge’s seniority over Meghan Markle.

Leslie Friedrich, a royalty writer, said that she doesn’t think the Queen gave Middleton the prestigious recognition to underscore her seniority over the “Suits” alum. Rather, the main reason is to recognize Middleton’s accomplishments throughout the years that she has been part of the royal family.

“If the Queen wants to teach a lesson, I’m sure she is quite capable of being much more direct,” she said.

Friedrich also referenced an article that states that the Royal Victorian Order is a gift from the monarch for services rendered. Recipients of the Royal Victorian Order are also selected by the Queen personally without any input from ministers.

Sue McCune Martin, a retired teacher, said that it is understandable to see the awarding of the RVO as a way of the Queen to show her favor towards Middleton or as a way of showing her seniority over the Duchess of Sussex. But the mom of three actually received the recognition because she has been very busy and has done several engagements since the birth of Prince Louis.

Eileen Wood, a real estate assistant, also said that the Queen didn’t underscore Middleton’s seniority over Markle by giving the former the RVO.

“The Duke of Edinburgh who is substantially more senior than the Duchess of Cambridge just received the honor of Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 2017. The Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex received these honors in 2011, years before their own father,” she said.

Wood stressed the fact that the timing of the award doesn’t have anything to do with underscoring anyone’s seniority within the royal family.