Can Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla Host Investiture Ceremonies, a Duty Usually Reserved for Blood Royals?

Could Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla be tapped to add a key duty, usually reserved for blood members of the royal family, to their roster?

Citizens of the U.K. and British Overseas Territories are recognized for their accomplishments and services through a list of Honours published twice a year by the Cabinet Office. Around 30 investiture ceremonies are held each year to present the honorees with their awards, hosted by a member of the royal family — and currently, the duty is shared by just three people: King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince William.

Princess Anne, 74, tends to rack up the most investitures per year, which comes as no surprise given her reputation as the hardest-working royal due to her impressive number of duties performed. However, a recent report about King Charles’ sister claimed that she would like to see her nephew Prince William, 43, partake in more “bread-and-butter” duties.

“She’s still doing most of the investitures [at Windsor] even though William lives there. It annoys her,” a source recently told The Sunday Times.

It’s possible that Queen Camilla, 78, and Princess Kate, 43, could be called upon to step in and perform the duty one day. While royals in the line of succession traditionally host the investitures — which could include a knighting! — those who have married into the family are not forbidden to take on the task.

The Royal Musings blog found examples of times when a non-blood member of the royal family hosted investitures on behalf of the monarch. In fact, the Queen Mother (the late Queen Elizabeth’s mom, who was married to King George VI) performed over 50 investitures from the 1950s through the 1980s during her daughter’s reign.

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Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, also hosted investiture ceremonies, according to clippings from The Court Circular, the official report of the royal family’s engagements.

Queen Camilla is currently the monarch’s consort, putting her in the same position as the Queen Mother and Prince Philip were. However, there is currently no evidence of the spouse of an heir hosting an investiture ceremony, meaning Camilla is currently more likely than Kate to take on the role until Prince William becomes monarch.

The royal family previously shared a behind-the-scenes look at investitures, which are typically held in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace or in the Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle. However, they can also take place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh or overseas during royal visits.

According to the explainer, the medals — called “insignia” — are collected and cleaned, and certificates called “Warrants of Appointment” are signed by a member of the royal family.

“On the day of the investiture, the insignia are laid out in the ballroom and carefully checked,” they explained. “Each recipient is given a special pin to wear, so that their insignia can be easily hooked on to their clothing when the honour is awarded.”

Should someone be getting knighted, a sword is readied. According to the website, each royal has their own sword to use.

When the royal host enters the room — attended by two Gurkha orderly officers, a tradition begun by Queen Victoria in 1876 — the national anthem is played. The military band or orchestra will continue to play music throughout the event.

“Each piece of insignia will be placed on a cushion before it is passed to the Member of The Royal Family awarding the honour,” the website states. “The Lord Chamberlain or Lord in Waiting will call out the name of each recipient as they come forward to receive their honour. He will tick off each name as he goes.”

In addition to getting their medal, the recipients — usually 60 per ceremony — often have a short chat with the royal awarding them with the honor.

After the ceremony, recipients gather outside to take photos with their insignia.

Many titles can be awarded at an investiture ceremony, including knighthoods and damehoods. The most well-known are Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), both recognizing outstanding achievement or service to the community.

According to the royal family’s website, “Anybody in the U.K. can make a recommendation for a British national to receive an honour. This ensures that many people who are not in the public eye are recognised for their valuable service and contribution, perhaps to charity, to the emergency services, or to their industry or profession.”

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