Kate Middleton wore her go-to tiara to the state dinner at Buckingham Palace for President Donald Trump’s formal state visit to the United Kingdom, but she also had a new accessory.

The Duchess of Cambridge donned a deep blue and gold ribbon over her Alexander McQueen gown, which was her first time wearing the adornment in public. The ribbon designates her as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), the highest level of chivalry bestowed by the queen in recognition of service to the monarch.

Its bright hue contrasts well with her white gown and the gentle yellow Royal Family Order, which she received in October of 2018. Given the strict dress requirement of the event, she completed the ensemble with her beloved lover’s knot tiara.

According to royal reporter Omid Scobie, the order is also symbolized with a Maltese cross, which comes in various sizes depending on rank. If you look carefully, you may see Kate’s sash has a cross hanging from her hip.

Queen Victoria established this honor in 1896 as a way of thanking and honoring individuals who have devoted much of their life to assisting and representing her.

Duchess Camilla (right) wears her Royal Victorian Order sash with the queen and Prince Charles at a state banquet in October 2018.
PATRICK VAN KATWIJK / GETTY IMAGES

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Kate is surrounded by excellent company. The Queen’s sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are among the Knights and Dames Grand Cross recipients. The post of Grand Master of the Order was established in 1937, and the Queen Mother held it until her death in 2002. In 2007, Queen Elizabeth named her daughter, Princess Anne, to the position.

On William and Kate’s eighth wedding anniversary in April, the British queen bestowed the title of Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order on her granddaughter-in-law. A Dame Grand Cross is the Order’s highest rank, equal to a Knight.

She is the third member of the royal family to receive the title, after Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles’ wife) in 2012 and Sophie, Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward’s Wife) in 2010. On their wedding anniversary in 2017, the queen also made Prince Philip a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

The blue sashes were also worn by Camilla, Princess Anne, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex during the dinner on Monday.

An appointment to the Royal Victorian Order is “the personal gift of the Sovereign, this honour is awarded to those who have served The Queen or the monarchy in a particular way,” according to the royal family’s website.

The Duchess of Cambridge also attended the event wearing her Royal Family Order badge. The item, which is decorated with a yellow ribbon and a hanging hand-painted picture of the monarch, also recognizes one’s service to the throne. Kate was first seen wearing the emblem during a state banquet honoring the Netherlands’ king and queen in October 2017. At royal or state events, especially those in the presence of the queen, it’s customary to wear decorations of order, according to Debrett’s, a renowned authority on etiquette.

The Royal Victorian Order or the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II are usually awarded to royal spouses, and they may earn more orders as time passes and they have done more work for the family. (Prince William, for example, is a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, while Prince Charles has seven orders.)