This was King Charles' first time attending the Service as the reigning monarch, and it held special meaning for Prince William as well. During the event, William was officially appointed as the Great Master of the Order ,a prestigious title involving a formal oath and the induction of five new Knights.
The Order of the Bath, originally established in May 1725 by King George I through Letters Patent, honors distinguished military leaders and top-ranking civil servants. The Order draws inspiration from medieval customs where knights would take a symbolic bath representing spiritual cleansing before a vigil and their investiture.
There are three ranks within the Order: Knight or Dame Grand Cross, Knight or Dame Commander, and Companion. Women were first admitted in 1971, with Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, becoming the first woman to hold the title of Dame Grand Cross. She was also the mother of Prince Richard, a current working royal.
King Charles last attended this ceremonial service in 2022 while he was still the Prince of Wales , a title he later passed on to William after becoming king in September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. By tradition, the Prince of Wales, as Great Master, is expected to attend the service every four years, while the monarch typically participates every eight years. Charles himself was appointed Great Master by Queen Elizabeth in 1975 at the age of 26, a role Prince William now assumes.
The shared royal responsibilities have brought Charles and William even closer. Following Queen Elizabeth's passing, a source close to the royal family told PEOPLE that their conversations about their future roles and the nation's direction have deepened their relationship.
The royal family has endured a challenging time recently, facing two public cancer diagnoses in early 2024. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. Just a few weeks later, in March, Princess Kate revealed she was also undergoing cancer treatment.
In a candid interview during his November visit to South Africa for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, Prince William opened up about how emotionally taxing the year had been.
"It's been horrible. Probably the toughest year I've ever had," he said. "Balancing everything and trying to stay on course has been tough. But I'm incredibly proud of my wife and my father for the way they've managed everything. From a family perspective, it's been truly hard."
Princess Kate shared in September that she had completed chemotherapy and later announced in January that she is now in remission. Meanwhile, King Charles continues to undergo cancer treatment into 2025.
