Kate Honors Queen Elizabeth II at St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Regimental ceremony and symbols

Kate wore a bottle-green coat with an Irish Guards cap star pinned to it. The cap star was originally presented by the regiment to the late Queen Elizabeth II in the 1960s.

During the parade she presented traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen. The event ended with three cheers for the princess.

Medals and formal duties

The Princess presented good conduct and long-service medals to three soldiers. She also met serving officers and their families in the officers’ mess after the parade.

Warm moments with military families

She spent time greeting children and relatives of serving soldiers. Lance Sergeant Mills led the drums and pipes and attended with his wife, Jessica, and their three-year-old daughter, Vienna.

The princess crouched to speak with Vienna, complimented her hair and applauded as the child twirled in a blue dress. She also spoke with Mila, another three-year-old, and praised her matching green bow.

Family reactions

• Lance Sergeant Mills described the encounter as a major personal moment. He said his daughter had been excited about the parade all week.
• Jessica Mills said the princess was approachable and down to earth. She added it was her first time attending the parade.

The regimental mascot

The Irish Guards’ mascot, an Irish wolfhound named Turlough Mor and commonly called Seamus, met the princess. She gave Seamus a sprig of shamrock and pinned it to his red coat.

Drummer Joseph G.S. Aldridge, Seamus’s handler, said the princess remembered him from the previous year and asked after the dog’s health.

Regimental context and wider roles

Kate became colonel of the Irish Guards in December 2022, succeeding the Prince of Wales. Filmogaz.com notes other senior household roles: the Prince of Wales is colonel of the Welsh Guards, the King is colonel of the Coldstream Guards, the Queen is colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Duke of Edinburgh is colonel of the Scots Guards.

The Irish Guards are closing their 125th anniversary year. Founded by Queen Victoria, the regiment has taken part in Operation Interflex. That UK-led programme provides battlefield skills training to Ukrainian soldiers.

At the ceremony many observers felt Kate Honors Queen Elizabeth II at St. Patrick’s Day Parade by wearing the historic cap star and participating in longstanding regimental traditions.