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The Queen's 'special secret' planned for Kate
Kate Middleton is likely going to be receiving a very special nod from The Queen as she celebrates her tenth anniversary as a member of the royal family this year.
Kate and William will be celebrating the one decade since the Duchess of Cambridge won hearts across the globe when she appeared in her lace wedding gown at Westminster Abbey back on April 11 2011.
According to one royal expert, the momentous occasion won’t go unmarked by Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, who likely has something extra special, but top-secret, in the works.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe, who is the former royal editor of The Sun and a noted royal author, told OK! Magazine that if history tells us anything its that there is something very special awaiting Kate on her big day.
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“It’s highly likely [the Queen] be planning a special secret something to honour Kate’s 10 years in the royal family—something she can do to mark it," he told the magazine.
Backing up the notion is the Queen’s history of bestowing her granddaughter-in-law with highly regarded titles in the past.
When the royal couple celebrated their eighth anniversary, Kate received the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, the highest honour the monarch can bestow.
Approaching a decade, royal watchers can hardly wait to see how the Queen decides to honour the Duchess this year.
It’s not just official dates and anniversaries however, Larcombe reports that the two women share a very special bond and that the Queen relies heavily on Kate, who even taught her to video chat!
“Kate and the Queen have a fantastic relationship,” he says. “Kate strikes that balance between bowing to her as head of the royal family in public but being able to check in with her as the great-grandmother to her children.”
Kate and Wills have gone on to have three children together, and have been a stable influence in a tumultuous 12 months that saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave the royal family, and the UK crippled by the coronavirus pandemic.
The anniversary of their wedding may, however, be tinged with sadness for Kate, who it was recently revealed has one big regret around her special day.
According to royal expert Katie Nichols, William proposed on October 20, 2010, the couple decided to wait a few weeks before making a public announcement on November 3.
During this time, the couple didn't tell many people about their happy news, including close friends and family as they were worried the news would leak before they were ready to make an announcement. However, this is the cause of upset for Kate.
Between getting engaged and making the announcement, Kate's last living grandparent, her grandfather Peter, passed away, just one day before they were set to make the announcement and share the happy news.
"Kate was deeply saddened not to have had the chance to tell her grandfather that she was engaged to William," Ms Nicholl wrote, according to The Mirror. "She knew he would have been delighted for her."
The couple delayed their announcement and attended the funeral together, deciding to tell their family and friends on November 16, hours before the news was made public.
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