The King gives prestigious appointments to family members

The King has granted prestigious new roles to four senior members of the royal family, including his wife, Queen Camilla.

As formally announced by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, Her Majesty Queen Camilla has been appointed to be Grand Master and First or Principal Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Previous Grand Masters have included the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,who held the office from 1953 until his death, the King's great-grandmother – Queen Mary from 1936 to 1953, and King Edward VIII when he was the Prince of Wales from 1917 to 1936.

The King has also granted new honours to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Prince William has been made Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established by King George I in 1725, although it is believed to originally date back as far as the eighth century. It is awarded to members of the military or civil service for exemplary service.  

Previous Grand Masters have included the King when he was Prince of Wales, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert, and Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex.

And as a completely new appointment, the Princess of Wales has been appointed Royal Companion of The Order of the Companions of Honour. The Order was founded by King George V in 1917 to recognise outstanding achievements in the Arts, Sciences, Medicine and Public Service. While membership of the order confers no title or precedence, those inducted into the order are entitled to use the post-nominal letters CH. Catherine joins the likes of Lord Coe, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Elton John, all members of the order.

Meanwhile, there's a new royal addition to the Order of the Garter – the Duchess of Gloucester has become a Royal Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and is likely to make her debut at the ceremony on 17 June.

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