King Charles to give Prince William new title in rare royal family first

Later this week, King Charles III will give his eldest son, Prince William, a new title in a rare royal family first.

On Friday (16 May), the father and son duo will attend the Order of the Bath Service at Westminster Abbey - a ceremony which will mark the Order's 300th anniversary year as it continues a tradition established in 1725 by Letters Patent of George I.

This will be Charles' first service as the ruling monarch of the ancient order, making it a rare royal first, which will also see William installed into a brand-new role which will bring with it a snazzy new title.

At the Order of the Bath Service tomorrow, the Prince of Wales will be installed as Great Master of the Order during the ceremony.

The ceremony is basically a revival of a much older custom which dates way back to medieval times.

Part of the ceremony of knighthood used to include a ritual bath, which was believed to have represented spiritual purification.

It also included a vigil the night before receiving the honour.

Charles was previously installed as Great Master by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, back in 1975.

King Charles III and Prince William will attend the Order of the Bath Service at Westminster Abbey on Friday (16 May) (JORDAN PETTITT / Contributor / Getty Images)

Such a service takes place every four years, with the Sovereign traditionally attending every other service whereas William, as Great Master, attends each service.

Charles, who was Prince of Wales at the time, last attended back in 2022.

There are three separate classes of members in the order including; Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCB), Knight or Dame Commander (KCB/DCB) and Companion (CB).

It wasn't until 1971 that women were allowed into the order.

Last week, Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's latest royal portraits were unveiled at the National Gallery.

Marking the pair's coronation in 2023, 76-year-old Charles' portrait was painted by Peter Kuhfeld while Camilla, 77, on the other hand, was painted by artist Paul Benny.

(The Prince of Wales will be installed as Great Master of the Order during the ceremony (Chris Jackson / Staff / Getty Images)

However, it was a detail which was painted atop his right shoulder which clearly caught the attention of people online, with many rushing to social media to share their speculations.

One Facebook user wondered: "Is that a bra thrown on his shoulder?"

"I thought he had a bra draped over his shoulder?" questioned a second, while a third quite boldly declared: "It's the bra on his shoulder and the bondage ties on the bed post."

A fourth likewise stated: "He has a bra over his shoulder."

"What's the bra doing on his shoulder?" echoed another, as a final person added: "The bra on his shoulder!"

Well, all jokes aside, we think it highly unlikely that the head of the royal family would have chosen to have a piece of white lacy lingerie draped over himself in a royal portrait.