The Princess of Wales dressed in festive green today as she was saluted by Irish Guards’ at the St Patrick’s Day parade before sipping on a pint of Guinness.
Kate, 43, made a triumphant solo return to the celebration, before putting drinks behind the bar for guardsmen and enjoying a toast inside the Wellington Barracks in Westminster.
After arriving at the central London camp, Kate inspected the troops before being presented with traditional sprigs of shamrock by a member of the guards.
She then pinned it to her lapel – adding to the Cartier shamrock brooch she was already wearing.
In a further sweet moment, Kate knelt down to pet the regimental mascot Turlough Mór, an adorable Irish Wolfhound known as Seamus. She then gifted him a sprig of shamrock.
Later, inside the Junior Ranks dining hall, Kate sipped on a pint of Guinness as a senior guardsman toasted her, but didn’t quite manage to ‘split the G’ instead choosing to savour the drink slowly.
‘Three cheers for the colonel in the regiment,’ he said before raucous applause.
Kate, who is colonel of the regiment after taking over from her husband, missed the Guards’ annual occasion last year as she was undergoing treatment for cancer.
But the royal, who is gradually returning to public duties, dressed in a lucky green Alexander McQueen coat dress as she came back today.
She styled her look with black heeled boots and a percher hat, and added a Shamrock pin, while tucked her hair up into a sleek updo and opting for a light make-up look.
The Princess of Wales enjoys a glass of Guinness during a visit to the Irish Guards for their St Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
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The Princess of Wales enjoys a glass of Guinness during a visit to the Irish Guards for their St Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
Catherine, Princess of Wales during the 2025 Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
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Catherine, Princess of Wales during the 2025 Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
In a further sweet moment, Kate knelt down to pet the regimental mascot Turlough Mór, an adorable Irish Wolfhound known as Seamus
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In a further sweet moment, Kate knelt down to pet the regimental mascot Turlough Mór, an adorable Irish Wolfhound known as Seamus
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The Princess of Wales dressed in festive green today as she was saluted by Irish Guards’ at the St Patrick’s Day parade before sipping on a pint of Guinness
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Later, inside the Junior Ranks dining hall, Kate sipped on a pint of Guinness as a senior guardsman toasted her, but didn’t quite manage to ‘split the G’ instead choosing to savour the drink slowly
Princess of Wales during the 2025 Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
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Princess of Wales during the 2025 Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
The Princess of Wales dressed in festive green today as she arrived at the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day parade, before being presented with a shamrock
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The Princess of Wales dressed in festive green today as she arrived at the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day parade, before being presented with a shamrock
Kate, 43, made a triumphant solo return to the celebration, before putting drinks behind the bar for guardsmen
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Kate, 43, made a triumphant solo return to the celebration, before putting drinks behind the bar for guardsmen
After arriving at Wellington Barracks in Westminster, central London , Kate inspected the troops before being presented with traditional sprigs of shamrock to a member of the guards
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After arriving at Wellington Barracks in Westminster, central London , Kate inspected the troops before being presented with traditional sprigs of shamrock to a member of the guards
After arriving at Wellington Barracks in Westminster, central London, Kate inspected the troops before being presented with traditional sprigs of shamrock to a member of the guards
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After arriving at Wellington Barracks in Westminster, central London, Kate inspected the troops before being presented with traditional sprigs of shamrock to a member of the guards
Kate, who is colonel of the regiment after taking over from her husband, missed the Guards’ annual occasion last year as she was undergoing treatment for cance
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Kate, who is colonel of the regiment after taking over from her husband, missed the Guards’ annual occasion last year as she was undergoing treatment for cance
She then pinned it to her lapel – adding to the enamel shamrock badge she was already wearing
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She then pinned it to her lapel – adding to the enamel shamrock badge she was already wearing
In a further loving moment, Kate then knelt down to pet Turlough, the adorable Irish Wolfhound who works as the regiment’s mascot
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In a further loving moment, Kate then knelt down to pet Turlough, the adorable Irish Wolfhound who works as the regiment’s mascot
She added Kiki McDonough Green Tourmaline earrings to her look – which she also wore at the St Patrick’s Day Parade in 2018 and 2019.
In a very sweet gesture, the future queen also put money behind the bar for guardsmen, saying it’s ‘the least she could do’.
She later took the official salute from the Irish Guards, raising their Bearskin caps into the air.
Kate started the day by saluting the colonel during a march-past and met Irish Guards veterans as well as junior cadets from Northern Ireland known as Mini Micks.
During a private ceremony, in the junior ranks’ dining hall, senior guardsman toasted in her honour.
The Princess drank from a half pint of Guinness as Guardsman Barry Loughlin raised a toast to her as royal colonel in the Dining Room.
‘If you have a drink, stand with me now,’ he said, ‘bit quicker boys,’ he joked.
‘Three cheers for the Colonel of the regiment,’ he said. Kate sipped her drink after the three cheers rang out then headed over to meet Barry’s partner Georgia Wills and son Regan, four.
The princess pinned the sprig of shamrock to her lapel
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It made for a very festive display
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The princess pinned the sprig of shamrock to her lapel, making for a very festive display
The Princess looked delighted to be back in action today
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The Princess looked delighted to be back in action today
The Princess of Wales, smiles as she joins the Irish Guards, their veterans, families, serving soldiers, reservists, and young cadets from Northern Ireland, at a special St Patrick’s Day parade
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The Princess of Wales, smiles as she joins the Irish Guards, their veterans, families, serving soldiers, reservists, and young cadets from Northern Ireland, at a special St Patrick’s Day parade
Princess of Wales during the 2025 Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
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Princess of Wales during the 2025 Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Wellington Barracks
The Princess of Wales receives the official salute from the Irish Guards
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Seamus the Irish wolfhound walked past
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She later took the official salute from the Irish Guards, raising their Bearskin caps into the air
The Princess appeared in bright spirits as she received the salute, after missing out on last year’s celebrations
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The Princess appeared in bright spirits as she received the salute, after missing out on last year’s celebrations
Princess of Wales presents traditional sprigs of shamrock to Officers and Guardsmen of the Irish Guard
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Princess of Wales presents traditional sprigs of shamrock to Officers and Guardsmen of the Irish Guard
Barry said of the Princess: ‘She just wanted to find out how everything’s going. She’s really nice in that respect, she doesn’t just disappear. She’s warm and you feel welcomed by her.
‘You could tell she had a genuine interest.’
Inside, she told soldiers and their families, including some who had recently returned from Iraq, that she had missed taking part in the ceremony over the past two years.
Kate handed out long service and good conduct medals to Colour Sergeant Healy, Sgt Ben Beavis, Sgt Kristian Pooley and the Operation Shader medal to Sgt Jamie Davies, before heading out onto the Parade Ground.
The princess then joined the regiment for their traditional parade, taking her place on the saluting dais as soldiers from Number 9 Company, Number 12 Company and the Rear Operations Group marched onto the parade square, led by their Irish wolfhound mascot, Turlough Mor.
After taking the salute on the dais, she handed out shamrocks to Guardsmen and officers before finally presenting a sprig to the regimental mascot Turlough Mor, an Irish wolfhound known as Seamus.
She also said she wants to take her children to Australia and New Zealand now they are a bit older.
Kate was chatting to Irish Guardsmen and their families in the Sergeants’ Mess at Wellington Barracks after putting money behind the bar for them to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Chatting about how she and Prince William took their eldest son, Prince George, away with them on his first official tour when he was a baby, she told Corporal Adam Hamilton, an Australian reservist: ‘George finds it fascinating that he has been to Australia and New Zealand.
‘I would like to go back there with them now. It’s finding time to do that. But I love to travel – yes, it’s a long flight.
The Princess of Wales saluted the troops before meeting with them inside
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The Princess of Wales saluted the troops before meeting with them inside
Known to dress to theme, the Princess of Wales looked gorgeous in green today
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Known to dress to theme, the Princess of Wales looked gorgeous in green today
The Princess of Wales, poses for a photo with members of the Irish Guards
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The Princess of Wales, poses for a photo with members of the Irish Guards
Kate looked animated as she visited the regiments in Wellington Barracks
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Kate looked animated as she visited the regiments in Wellington Barracks
‘But I love the Middle East because that’s familiar to me from growing up. There are so many opportunities now to travel, I think it’s brilliant to experience it.
‘We tend to go further afield when it’s official visits, it’s being able to carve out time to experience these countries in a more private capacity.
‘Because otherwise you end up seeing lots of insides of amazing buildings but you don’t get to meet that many.. people
‘It’s making sure that you can combine a bit of work with… the children. I might see you down there!’
The Princess, who wore a bottle green coat and matching hat with a gold shamrock brooch of the Irish Guards, was also asked where she and her family lived.
‘We are in Windsor at the moment,’ she replied.
‘We were in London but moved there for more green space. It’s close enough to London, not too far away.’
The Princess also chatted to section commanders in the bar about her husband’s beard.
‘These trends come and go,’ she said. ‘I was saying to my husband, I’m not sure how long he’s going to keep his for.’
Told that Noah Hogan, seven, whose father John is Company Sergeant Major, was a keen footballer, she replied: ‘Our kiddies play football. Do Mummy and Daddy come and watch? Do you like the idea of being in the Army too?’
She also chatted to his brother Lucas, 12.
‘You’re the same age as George. So you haven’t got exams this year?’ She asked.
Told he has just joined the Army cadets, she said: ‘You get to try so many different things there. Within the military, there are so many career different paths you can take. It’s so exciting.
‘Actually it’s one of the things that I’m very keen to support, that recruitment side.’
Kate knelt down to pet Turlough Mór, the adorable Irish Wolfhound who works as the regiment’s mascot
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Kate knelt down to pet Turlough Mór, the adorable Irish Wolfhound who works as the regiment’s mascot
Princess of Wales attends the 2025 Irish Guard’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
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Princess of Wales attends the 2025 Irish Guard’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The Princess of Wales greeted young participants, wearing the traditional sprigs
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The Princess of Wales greeted young participants, wearing the traditional sprigs
The princess looked as regal as ever as she participated in the day’s events
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The princess looked as regal as ever as she participated in the day’s events
Kate was all smiles as she arrived at Wellington Barracks, where crowds of tourists had lined up along the perimeter fence to watch.
She was greeted by Major General Sir Chris Ghika and Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark and met their wives and other senior officers inside.
Leaning down to shake hands with Rory Irwin-Clark, six, she said: ‘You’re six? The same age as my Louis.’
‘We so often see you at matches because our girls are always playing each other, they are Farleigh and Lambrook, so I think there’s stiff competition,’ said his mother Carice, who has a daughter in year five.
‘I was just saying, they’re doing so much, sporting events,’ replied Kate.
‘Now it’s getting a bit warmer, it’s a bit nicer for a spectator,’ joked Carice.
Kate wished each officer a ‘Happy St Patrick’s Day’ as they stepped forward to receive the shamrock.
Then when Seamus arrived, she spent time patting him and scratching under his chin and behind his ears as his sprig was pinned to his smart red coat.
His handler, Drummer Joseph Aldridge, 27, said of the encounter, ‘It was special. She’s our colonel and obviously we want her to come to our parade every year but due to some unfortunate circumstances she couldn’t [last year]. It’s nice to see her come out and get to meet everyone — especially Seamus.
‘He’s the fan favourite. Not just with the royal family but everyone.’
‘We had a lovely chat about animals. She said ‘he’s being well behaved.’ And I said ‘He is but he can be unpredictable!’ She laughed and said ‘horses are the worst.’ She loves all animals,’ he added.
The Princess of Wales dressed in green as she arrived at the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day parade today as she made a triumphant solo return to the celebration, before putting drinks behind the bar for guardsmen
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The Princess of Wales dressed in green as she arrived at the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day parade today as she made a triumphant solo return to the celebration, before putting drinks behind the bar for guardsmen
Kate, who is colonel of the regiment after taking over from her husband, missed the Guards’ annual occasion last year as she was undergoing treatment for cancer
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Kate, who is colonel of the regiment after taking over from her husband, missed the Guards’ annual occasion last year as she was undergoing treatment for cancer
But the royal, who is gradually returning to public duties, made her return today after a two-year absence at the Wellington Barracks in London
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But the royal, who is gradually returning to public duties, made her return today after a two-year absence at the Wellington Barracks in London
The Princess returned to the dais for three cheers from those on parade, with soldiers raising their bearskins into the air on each ‘hooray’.
After another royal salute and the national anthem, they then marched past, followed by Irish Guards veterans.
Three-year-old Elsie Enright was chosen to present Kate with a bouquet of Spring flowers and the Princess commented on her ‘beautiful shoes.’
She was then introduced to a line up of ‘mini Micks’ – cadets who had travelled from Northern Ireland to attend the Parade – and another group of veterans.
Then it was time to pose for group photographs with the Officers and Guardsmen. Kate giggled as two small boys who had been watching relatives taking part in the parade wandered into one of the shots.
Meanwhile, officers from the regiment deployed in eastern England paused their training of Ukrainian troops to present shamrocks to their recruits as part of Operation Interflex, a UK-led programme providing battlefield skills to Ukrainian soldiers.
The Irish Guards have played a key role in the programme, which has trained more than 45,000 Ukrainian recruits since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
During the parade, a tribute was paid to soldiers stationed in eastern England, with Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Ben Irwin-Clark describing St Patrick’s Day as ‘a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the friendships that are so fundamental to our regimental ethos and identity’.
In 2023, Kate visited the Irish Guards on St Patrick’s Day with the Prince of Wales at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, after taking over the role of colonel from William.
The Princess of Wales dressed in green as she arrived at the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day parade today as she made a triumphant solo return to the celebration
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The Princess of Wales dressed in green as she arrived at the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day parade today as she made a triumphant solo return to the celebration
Dressed in a lucky green Alexander McQueen coat dress , Kate styled her look with black heeled boots and a beret, and added a Shamrock pin
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Dressed in a lucky green Alexander McQueen coat dress , Kate styled her look with black heeled boots and a beret, and added a Shamrock pin
She also put money behind the bar for guardsmen, saying it’s ‘the least she could do’, Kate is pictured today
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She also put money behind the bar for guardsmen, saying it’s ‘the least she could do’, Kate is pictured today
Kate will take the salute as colonel during a march-past and meet Irish Guards veterans as well as junior cadets from Northern Ireland known as Mini Micks
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Kate will take the salute as colonel during a march-past and meet Irish Guards veterans as well as junior cadets from Northern Ireland known as Mini Micks
In her role as Colonel, Kate posed for an official portrait with the Irish Guards
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In her role as Colonel, Kate posed for an official portrait with the Irish Guards
Last year, the guardsman gave three cheers for their absent colonel while the princess was away from public duties after abdominal surgery.
It comes after the Prince and Princess of Wales cheered on opposing sides at Saturday’s Wales v England Six Nations match.
William and Kate took their seats at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to watch the teams compete in the competition’s final round of matches.
The prince is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) while the princess holds a similar position with the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The famously competitive couple have previously joked about supporting different teams during the tournament with William supporting Wales and Kate rooting for England.
After the princess departed the ceremony, Kensington Royal posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Happy St Patrick’s Day!
‘Great to be back to join the Irish Guards for their annual St Patrick’s Day parade here at Wellington Barracks. Proud to be your Colonel, and celebrate 125 years of the regiment with you today.’
In 2023, William remarked it would be a ‘tense journey home’ with his wife after a Six Nations Wales v England match in Cardiff.
Kate is gradually returning to public duties after revealing she is in remission from cancer.
Before the match, the couple met injured players who have been supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite – a space dedicated for use by the players and their families ahead of games.
Today was the first time the princess has attended the traditional parade since 2023
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Today was the first time the princess has attended the traditional parade since 2023
The royal, 43, looked excited to be out and about as she greeted attendees
