The Princess of Wales has joined the Irish Guards for their annual St Patrick’s Day parade to hand out the traditional spigs of shamrock after missing the event last year due to her cancer diagnosis

The Princess of Wales has made an emotional return to a poignant St Patrick’s Day event she was forced to miss last year – and made a generous gesture. Today, Kate, in her role of colonel of the Irish Guards has joined the regiment for their annual St Patrick’s Day parade. She was unable the event last year as she was recovering from abdominal surgery and had also received her cancer diganosis.

But now she is gradually returning to public duties, she has awarding long service and good conduct medals to soldiers and presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen at Wellington Barracks in London. Also present was the Irish wolfhound regimental mascot.

The Princess of Wales at the Irish Guards St Patrick’s Day Parade today ( 
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Getty Images)

Kate is colonel of the Irish Guards ( 
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Getty Images)

Wearing a bottle green coat, Kate was greeted by senior officers before heading to the Officers’ Mess to present medals. The event is particularly special this year as the regiment celebrates its 125th anniversary. Following tradition, Kate handed out the symbolic shamrocks to officers, warrant officers, and the regiment’s Irish wolfhound mascot, Turlough Mor.

And not only did she hand out the shamrocks, it also emerged she put money behind the bar to buy those in the regiment a drink to toast their special day saying it’s the “least I can do”. Kate took the salute as colonel during a march-past and met Irish Guards veterans as well as junior cadets from Northern Ireland known as Mini Micks. The princess also spent time in the junior ranks’ dining hall, where senior guardsman proposed a toast in her honour, and gathered with families in the sergeants’ mess.

Last time she took part in the parade was in 2023, when she 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.

Kate presents traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen ( 
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Samir Hussein/WireImage)
In June, Kate was also forced to miss the Irish Guards at the Colonel’s Review, the traditional rehearsal to Trooping the Colour. But keen to express how sorry she was to be missing the event, Kate wrote a letter to the regiment to pass on her best wishes ahead of their rehearsal and express her pride in the regiment.

The letter on Kensington Palace headed paper and shared on the Irish Guards account on X, said: “I wanted to write to let you know how proud I am of the entire regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping the Colour. I appreciate everyone Trooping this year has been practising for months, and dedicating many hours to ensure their uniforms and drill are immaculate.

“Being your Colonel remains a great honour, and I am very sorry that I am unable to take the salute at this year’s Colonel Review. Please pass my apologies to the whole Regiment, however, I do hope I can represent you all again soon. Please send my very best wishes and good luck to all involved.”

Kate with the regiment’s Irish Wolfhound mascot ( 
Image:
Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror

Kate finished the letter by handwriting the Irish Guards’ motto Quis Separabit, which means ‘Who shall separate us?’ and signs it ‘Colonel Catherine’. Her appearance today comes after she and Prince William 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).

Kate enjoys a Guinness as she marks St Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards ( 
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PAThe famously competitive couple have previously joked about supporting different teams during the tournament with William supporting Wales and Kate rooting for England. The royal couple spoke of how they watch Princes George and Louis play rugby at weekends in ‘freezing’ weather.

“At weekends we go from one competition to the next,” William said. Kate said: “Louis is six and he’s just started touch rugby and George is 11 and he plays a bit more. They do really enjoy it, actually. She added: “They’ve been exposed to lots of different sports.”