The Princess of Wales prompted delight among royal fans on Tuesday when she stepped out for one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year. As Colonel of the Irish Guards, Princess Catherine arrived at Mon Barracks in Aldershot to attend the regiment’s annual St Patrick’s Day Parade.
Catherine joined the parade and presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen who, in turn, distributed them along their ranks. Another special moment was when the Princess presented a sprig of shamrock to the Irish Wolfhound regimental mascot, Seamus.
The official part of the ceremony was concluded with a royal Salute and march-past, where the future Queen took the salute as the regiment’s Colonel from a dais.
Before she joined the guardsmen for a celebratory few sips of Guinness, Catherine awarded long service and good conduct medals to soldiers within the regiment and met a group of Regimental Association Members of the Irish Guards and the ‘Mini Micks’, who are junior cadets from Northern Ireland.
The Princess was appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2022, succeeding Prince William, who had held the position since 2011. He stepped into the role of Colonel of the Welsh Guards, succeeding his father, King Charles.
The princess attended the parade last year, after skipping it in 2024 following her major abdominal surgery in January of that year and subsequent cancer diagnosis that month.
Catherine announced that she had been diagnosed with a type of cancer on March 22, 2024. The Irish Guards’ 2024 parade took place on March 17. At the time, it was thought the princess was still recovering from her abdominal surgery back in January.
The Irish Guards serve a dual role as world-class infantry soldiers, specialising in frontline combat roles requiring excellence in the use of Machine Guns, Anti-Tank missiles, Mortars, Reconnaissance, and Sniper capabilities, and, as the ceremonial personal bodyguard to the Monarch, are frequently seen guarding Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
After a sustained period of providing vital support to the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Irish Guards are now committed to modernisation and to remaining at the forefront of emerging operational capabilities.
They are a “leading force” in building the UK’s drone warfare capability.
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