The Princess of Wales is set to attend a special annual event next week that she apologised for missing last year after having abdominal surgery and being diagnosed with cancer

The Princess of Wales is set to attend a special event she apologised for missing last year.

It has been announced that she will carry out a solo engagement on Monday by joining the Irish Guards for their annual St Patrick’s Day parade. Kate, who is colonel of the regiment, missed the Guards’ celebrations last year after being diagnosed with cancer.

The princess, who is gradually returning to public duties, will award long service and good conduct medals to soldiers and present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen at Wellington Barracks in London. Also, there will be the Irish Wolfhound regimental mascot.

William and Kate at the annual St Patrick’s Day parade in 2023 ( 
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Getty Images)
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. She will also spend time in the junior ranks’ dining hall, where senior guardsman will propose a toast in her honour, and gather with families in the sergeants’ mess.

In 2023, Kate visited the Irish Guards on St Patrick’s Day with Prince William at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, after taking over the role of colonel from her husband. Last year, the guardsman gave three cheers for their absent colonel while the princess was away from public duties after abdominal surgery.

News of Kate’s engagement comes after it was also revealed that William will be heading off on his first official overseas visit of the year next week.

Prince William is set to visit Estonia next week ( 
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(Image: Getty))
The Prince of Wales will be in Estonia in his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment and will head to Tapa Army Base where forces are stationed on NATO’s front line to provide a deterrent to Russian aggression in the region.

The British forces at Tapa, who are ready to defend NATO’s eastern flank, are the UK’s largest permanent overseas deployment and there are around 900 UK service personnel in total in Estonia. William’s visit, his first-ever trip to Estonia, comes as major nations including the UK prepare to step up spending on their armed forces in response to the changing world order ushered in by US President Donald Trump.

Russia is seen as a growing threat in the region following its three-year-long invasion of Ukraine, and the Baltic states – Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – which border Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nation appear increasingly concerned.

William will begin the first day of his visit by meeting Alar Karis, President of Estonia. The country has been prominent among those giving military equipment and political support to Ukraine.

He will also visit a school founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 to respond to the war in Ukraine, and the prince will meet teachers from Ukraine to hear about their experiences at the school, and how they have helped students settle in Tallinn and looked after their mental wellbeing.

The following day will be spent at Tapa Army Base where William, a former Army officer, will meet Estonian soldiers and attend a handover ceremony as the Mercian Regiment take over from the Royal Dragoon Guards.