Kate has been colonel of the British Army regiment since 2023, when she took over the role from Prince William.
After being unable to attend last year's March 17 parade, which took place a few days before she revealed her cancer diagnosis, she yesterday paid tribute to the Irish Guards as it celebrated its 125th anniversary.
While revellers celebrated the patron saint across Ireland and the UK, the princess, 43, fittingly dressed in a festive green Alexander McQueen coat, green Lock & Co hat and shamrock brooch, inspected the troops at London's Wellington Barracks, where she was presented with traditional shamrock sprigs by a guardsman.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583504377/1742264902/articles/Bv2EMaqnrAV7xGvxqYsys/2417475618.jpg]
In the officers' mess she mentioned her children Prince Louis, six, and Princess Charlotte, nine, as she met Major General Sir Christopher Ghika and Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark and their wives and other senior Irish Guards officers.
Leaning down to shake hands with Rory Irwin-Clark, six, Kate said: "You're six? The same age as my Louis."
She exchanged small talk with the boy's mother, Carice, about their daughters' school sports matches, saying: "I was just saying, they're doing so much, sporting events."
And she spoke to keen footballer Noah Hogan, seven, whose father John is Company Sergeant Major, saying: "Our kiddies play foot ball. Do Mummy and Daddy come and watch? Do you like the idea of being in the Army too?"
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583504377/1742264902/articles/Bv2EMaqnrAV7xGvxqYsys/2612414666.jpg]
At a private ceremony Kate presented operational medals to Irish Guards soldiers recently returned from deployment in Iraq, handed out long service and good conduct medals and met veterans and cadets from Northern Ireland.
And she proved a popular boss when she put money behind the bar, telling officers: "It's the least I can do."
Sipping a half pint of the black stuff herself, she was toasted by a senior guardsman, who called out: "Three cheers for the colonel in the regiment."
After taking the salute, the princess handed out shamrocks-even presenting one to the regime...
After being unable to attend last year's March 17 parade, which took place a few days before she revealed her cancer diagnosis, she yesterday paid tribute to the Irish Guards as it celebrated its 125th anniversary.
While revellers celebrated the patron saint across Ireland and the UK, the princess, 43, fittingly dressed in a festive green Alexander McQueen coat, green Lock & Co hat and shamrock brooch, inspected the troops at London's Wellington Barracks, where she was presented with traditional shamrock sprigs by a guardsman.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583504377/1742264902/articles/Bv2EMaqnrAV7xGvxqYsys/2417475618.jpg]
In the officers' mess she mentioned her children Prince Louis, six, and Princess Charlotte, nine, as she met Major General Sir Christopher Ghika and Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark and their wives and other senior Irish Guards officers.
Leaning down to shake hands with Rory Irwin-Clark, six, Kate said: "You're six? The same age as my Louis."
She exchanged small talk with the boy's mother, Carice, about their daughters' school sports matches, saying: "I was just saying, they're doing so much, sporting events."
And she spoke to keen footballer Noah Hogan, seven, whose father John is Company Sergeant Major, saying: "Our kiddies play foot ball. Do Mummy and Daddy come and watch? Do you like the idea of being in the Army too?"
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583504377/1742264902/articles/Bv2EMaqnrAV7xGvxqYsys/2612414666.jpg]
At a private ceremony Kate presented operational medals to Irish Guards soldiers recently returned from deployment in Iraq, handed out long service and good conduct medals and met veterans and cadets from Northern Ireland.
And she proved a popular boss when she put money behind the bar, telling officers: "It's the least I can do."
Sipping a half pint of the black stuff herself, she was toasted by a senior guardsman, who called out: "Three cheers for the colonel in the regiment."
After taking the salute, the princess handed out shamrocks-even presenting one to the regime...
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Daily Express (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 18, 2025