It's no secret that King Charles and his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, share a close bond: both have been through major health issues of late, have been seen supporting one another in public on a number of occasions, and as of this spring, the Princess will become the first Princess of Wales to be able to issue a royal warrant in 116 years (after the King recently bestowed the powers upon her).
Now, as Catherine, best known as Kate, celebrates her 44th birthday, it's reported that the King is set to give her a sentimental gift, namely something that is steeped in royal history.
According to Grant Harrold, who worked as Charles' butler between 2004 to 2011, the Princess may well be receiving an heirloom passed down from the late Queen Elizabeth II. "It could be a hand-me-down from his mother," Harrold said during a chat with Heart Bingo. "It could be something from his private collection of things that he likes to give family members... things that are sentimental to him.
"When he was Prince of Wales, he would give things that had the insignia on them, depending on who it was. It's possible that he could do something like that"
Pondering further, Harrold also predicted "it might be something he's advised from the Royal Collection, maybe something that's a family heirloom that he's allowed to pass on.
"You've got to remember, family heirlooms – a lot of the items do personally belong to the King, but some of them are not personally owned by the King, but they're in the Royal Collection. He could still give something that remains in the Royal Collection."
In the past, Kate has been the recipient of plenty of priceless historical royal items, from her famous Ceylon blue sapphire engagement ring that previously belonged to the late Princess Diana, to the Royal Family Order (a miniature painted portrait of the King, set in diamonds and worn on a pale blue ribbon pinned to the left shoulder at formal state occasions), a personal honour bestowed by the King himself to be worn at state banquets as a visible symbol of his trust and esteem.
