Catherine, Princess of Wales – or as she's affectionately known to most, Kate Middleton – has just granted (along with husband, Prince William) a special honour to one of their inner circle... and the Palace is trying to keep it on the DL.
During an investiture ceremony in Windsor earlier this week, the couple's long-term nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who first began working for the Wales family when Prince George, 12, was just 8 months old, was honoured with the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver).
Turrion Borrallo now also cares for Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, who is 7.
The Royal Victorian Medal is a special recognition from the Prince and Princess of Wales to thank Turrion Borrallo for her service to them, their children and by default, the crown. It differs from the likes of MBEs or knighthoods (which you'll often see given to celebs and athletes), because this one is decided entirely by the royal family alone.
Recipients don’t receive a formal title like 'Sir' or 'Dame', but do get a name change in another way; they can use the post-nominal letters RVM after their name. Fancy!
Prince William was the one to physically present Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo with the award on 24 March, however, unlike others who were honoured during the same investiture ceremony, the nanny was deliberately not pictured or videoed during the ceremony – in an effort to maintain her privacy.
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Although she has worked for the family for over a decade now, Turrion Borrallo has only been pictured on rare occasions, often in the background at high-profile events such as weddings or Christmas.
Trained at the prestigious Norland College in Bath for nannies, the Spanish childcare expert is said to "love the [royal] children dearly", according to a source via PEOPLE. "She can be firm and strict, but she is very loving and soft with them too," they added.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
