Duchess of Cambridge Beams with Excitement at Order of the Garter Service

The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, couldn't contain her excitement as she attended the annual event at Windsor Castle on Monday.

The event, known as the Order of the Garter service, is one of the most colourful events in the royal calendar.

Catherine was accompanied by her father-in-law, the Prince of Wales, while her husband, Prince William, looked sombre.

Catherine was seen laughing and chatting with her father-in-law, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla.

She looked chic in a stunning coat dress and matching Juliette Botterell hat.

She also wore a tanzanite pendant necklace and matching earrings, which she has worn on several occasions in the past.

Adding more height to her figure, she opted for a pair of blueberry heels that narrowed into a sharp pointy toe and were finished with a glossy heart-shaped chain at the heel.

As the senior royals departed the ceremony, Catherine offered a beaming smile to Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, before greeting Prince Charles and Camilla with a sparkling grin.

It appears that Catherine is calming the mood for the family amid media reports that Prince William told the Queen and Prince Charles he would pull out of today's Order of the Garter ceremony if his uncle, Prince Andrew, was given a public role.

According to reports, Prince William allegedly offered an ultimatum to his grandmother and father, which reportedly led to the Duke of York being banned from the Windsor Castle event amid fears the crowd might boo him.

Andrew was not seen in public during Garter Day, after the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge reportedly lobbied the Queen about his participation.

Recipients of the honour today were chosen because they have held public office, contributed to national life, or served the Sovereign personally.

The appointment of Knights of the Garter is in the Queen's gift and is made without consulting ministers.

The Queen is Sovereign of the Order and a number of other British and foreign royals are additional members of the Order.

In other news, William and Catherine are set to move to a house on the Queen's Windsor Estate this summer, leaving behind Kensington Palace as their main residence.

According to reports, the couple will take their son Prince George VIII and daughter Princess Charlotte VII out of their current prep school in Battersea at the end of the school year.

George and Charlotte will then join their younger brother Prince Louis IV at a new school in Berkshire in September.

The move will see William and Catherine leave Kensington Palace, which has been their main residence since 2017.

The couple move from their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, where they have previously spent much of their time.

However, according to the Sunday Times, the pair will retain their property at Kensington Palace as their London home despite moving to Berkshire.

They will also keep Anmer Hall, which they will continue to use regularly.

The move to Windsor means the Cambridges will be near to the home of the Duchess's parents, who live 45 minutes away by car in the village of Bucklebury.

It has long been reported that the couple could one day move into Windsor Castle.

The Queen has spent much of her time at the Berkshire Castle following the death of her beloved Prince Philip.

Among the first arrivals were the Duchess of Cornwall's son, Tom Parker Bowles, and his sister, Laura Lopes, who were beaming as they waited outside the church in Windsor earlier in the afternoon.

Laura, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, enjoys a warm relationship with her stepbrothers Prince William and Prince Harry, who both made a big effort to attend her wedding to former Calvin Klein underwear model Harry in 2006.

The Duke of York was stripped of his official duties at the start of the year as he prepared to pay a multi-million pound settlement following a civil lawsuit against him by Virginia Robert Dufresne.

Although Andrew missed the Jubilee celebrations a week ago because he had Covid, he dramatically pulled out of today's Order of the Garter ceremony, despite being a member of the ancient Order of Chivalry.

In conclusion, the Duchess of Cambridge stole the show at the Order of the Garter service with her infectious excitement.

The senior royals were in attendance to watch Her Majesty the Queen do the formal investiture of the new Garter Knights.

Meanwhile, William and Catherine are set to make a big move to Windsor this summer, leaving behind Kensington Palace as their main residence.