The Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day Parade went forward as regular this 12 months with one notable absence – the regiment’s honorary colonel, the Princess of Wales.
Kate, 42, who’s honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment, was as an alternative changed within the ceremony in Aldershot by Lady Ghika, the spouse of Lieutenant colonel Major General Sir Christopher Ghika.
Dressed in a plum coat gown, she offered the Irish Guards’ mascot, Seamus the canine, with a shamrock, as is custom on the parade.
Just a 12 months earlier, the Princess of Wales stood in her place and carried out the identical custom, wearing a turquoise coat and with a shamrock on her lapel.
The 2023 St Patrick’s Day celebration was Kate’s first as honorary Lieutenant Colonel, after taking up from Prince William within the function.
Lady Ghika, the spouse of Major General Sir Christopher Ghika, stood in for the Princess of Wales at this 12 months’s Irish Guards St Patrick’s Day parade
Although Kate was unable to make the parade this 12 months whereas she continues her restoration from belly surgical procedure, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Instagram and Twitter accounts to pay tribute to the Irish Guards.
In a shiny video, members of the regiment talk about what St Patrick’s Day means to them and why it is vital to the Irish Guards as they went behind-the-scenes at rehearsals.
The video was captioned: ‘Happy St Patrick’s Day! Here’s a sneak peak of the Irish Guards rehearsing for his or her annual parade. Sláinte to all these celebrating at the moment!’
Last 12 months, Seamus the mascot obtained his shamrock from Kate, who was finishing up her first parade as colonel
The parade went forward as regular because the members of the regiment took half within the festivities
As Lady Ghika stepped in for Kate, she took accountability for handing out shamrocks
During final 12 months’s celebration, the Princess made a speech during which she expressed her pleasure at assuming the title.
She stated: ‘I actually could not be prouder to face in entrance of you right here at the moment. It actually is a real honour to be your Colonel. I’m right here to hearken to you, to assist you, and to champion you in all you do – it is a accountability I don’t take frivolously.’
Meanwhile William stated that being Colonel of the Irish Guards has been one of many ‘nice honours of my life’.
Ahead of attending the ceremony, Kate had joined the identical regiment for a day of military drills in snowy circumstances with them – and joked that the occasion had been ‘so chilly’.
She stated of the go to: ‘All I saw was enthusiasm, pride, and incredible dedication.
‘I was hugely impressed with your insistence that nothing is as bad as it seems, and – most of all – your boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour. That’s what makes you who you might be and what makes the Irish Guards distinctive.’
She additionally thanked her husband ‘Colonel William’, concluding: ‘Before I close, however, I want to thank Colonel William. He has always talked about his fierce pride for this Regiment. I know he will continue to support us all in the work we do.’
Later within the afternoon, the Princess joined members of the regiment and their households for a half pint of Guinness – though it appeared the stout is probably not her favorite drink as she did not drink an excessive amount of of ‘the black stuff’.