Photo: Getty Images
Dress-ups are typically a big part of the royal holiday celebration.
And Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales played the part in understanding the royal assignment in a green coat for a lavish celebration of St. Patrick’s Day along with her husband, William, the Prince of Wales.
Kate has participated in parades with the Irish Guards for many years since her marriage to Prince William in 2011 and this year’s occasion served as a handover for the royal pair. King Charles had just appointed the 41-year-old British royal to the position of honorary Colonel of the regiment. Although Prince William had previously held the same place, he was later named the Welsh Guards’ equivalent to his Prince of Wales title.
St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the passing of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. The celebration of Irish culture over the festival now includes parades, special meals, music, dancing, drinking, and wearing a lot of green.
Kate stood out against the weather in a custom-made turquoise Catherine Walker coat, replete with a frilled heart-shaped fascinator from Jane Taylor that cost £1,450, and a boldly shown Cartier shamrock brooch on her chest.
Getty Images According to The Court Jeweller, the brooch is owned by the Irish Guards and is leased to the royal ladies connected to the regiment. It was previously worn by Princess Anne and the Queen Mother before Kate.
The coat had a blue plume that matched that of the Irish Guards. To accentuate Kate’s slim shape, it has structured shoulders, buttons, and a belt at the waist. Her make-up was barely-there to highlight her natural beauty, and she had long, dark hair that cascaded down her back. For the look, the mother-of-three accessorized with a simple set of emerald earrings that have been seen on her a couple of times. Interestingly, Kate’s dreamy green coat had four buttons down the front, followed by a space before four more buttons, just like the Irish Guards’ uniform.
Photo: Getty Images Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, and the Irish guards in a portrait.
“I really couldn’t be prouder to stand in front of you here today,” the Princess said in her heartfelt address. “It really is a true honor to be your Colonel. I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do – this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.”
The Prince of Wales in his speech stated, “Whilst I am extremely happy to be here celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with you once again, I’m incredibly sad to be giving this speech, as it really does mean my time as your Colonel has come to an end. It has been one of the great honors of my life to hold that title; I’m proud of everything it stands for — just as I’m immensely proud of every single one of you.”
“I would now like to speak directly to the families gathered here today,” he continued. “I hope you know how truly grateful I am to all of you too. On this, my 13th and final St. Patrick’s Day as Colonel, not only am I saddened that I’ll likely fail once again to finish a pint of Guinness… but I am also sad that I won’t in future see more of you, the families, whose unwavering support enables these outstanding men and women to do what they do.”
“I may be stepping aside, but in Colonel Catherine, you have a committed, focused, and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel,” He further remarked.
A royal salute, as the troops marched past—something Kate has frequently seen her husband receive—marked the parade’s finish. But, this time, it was all about her. Following their meeting with some Irish Guards Association veterans, Kate was given the opportunity to tour the front rank. The second rank was inspected by Prince William.
After the inspection, Prince William and Kate posed for official Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess pictures before going to the junior ranks’ dining hall. There, the Senior Guardsman offered a toast to the prince and princess as they all held up their glasses of Guinness.
While the event was more about formal uniforms and royal dress-ups, Kate also had fun by helping to distribute the shamrock sprigs that the guards wear pinned to their tunics, as is customary. The regimental mascot, Irish wolfhound Turlough Mor, better known as Seamus, also received a touch of the Irish bloom.
