Harry and Meghan's Archewell staff awarded Royal Victorian Order by Princess Anne

A former palace aide who worked for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Buckingham Palace and later joined them at their new charitable foundation Archewell has been awarded with a royal honour.

Clara Loughran was honoured with the Royal Victorian Order by Princess Anne at a ceremony held at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. The dynastic order of knighthood recognises distinguished personal service to members of the British royal family.

Loughran, a native of New Zealand, began her service to the royal family in Prince William and Kate Middleton's household. She joined Prince Harry's team in 2015, organising his official engagements and charitable initiatives, and also served the bride flowers at his wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018, reports Mail Online.

She continued to work for the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex, helped them to organise their public engagements in her role as their senior programme coordinator, and also accompanied them on their royal tour of Australia, Fiji, and Tonga.

Her work as a palace aide ended when the couple quit as senior royals and relocated to the United States in March last year. She was one of the two palace aides who lost their jobs when the Sussexes closed their office in Buckingham Palace.

However, the 35-year-old joined them in their new ventures as well and started working for their non-royal charitable foundation "Archewell." It was reported in December last year that she had been hired by the couple on a freelance basis to handle the foundation's charity projects in the United Kingdom.

Bath Herlihy, the other palace aide who lost her job during the couple's transition, was also rehired by them to work alongside Loughran on the UK projects. Herlihy and Loughran have together formed an "advisory partnership" in their names that links "influential people" and organisations to good causes, and the Sussexes are among their first clients.

Loughran is married to Nick Loughran, former assistant communications secretary to Prince Harry. It is believed that it was Harry's recommendation to the Queen to make her a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.