The Princess of Wales raised a glass with her regiment, the Irish Guard, at the Wellington Barracks this morning, as part of the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations. Kate spoke to soldiers about their experiences of deployment and sipped a half pint of Guiness in their mess hall as Senior Guardsman, Barry Loughlin, led a toast to her as the colonel of their regiment.
To mark the occasion, Kate wore a forest green Alexander McQueen dress coat and an shamrock brooch. Crowds braved the cold as she handed out sprigs of shamrocks to each of the guardsmen and even the regiment's mascot, an Irish wolfhound by the name of Turlough Mor - or “Seamus” when he's off duty.
This year marks the 125th anniversary of the formation of the Irish Guard by Queen Victoria, and it's Kate's first visit since cancer treatment forced her to miss last year's event. “Being your colonel remains a great honour and I am very sorry that I’m unable to take the salute at this year’s Colonel’s Review," she wrote at the time. "Please pass my apologies to the whole regiment: however, I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon."
This year, as well as her official duties, she spent time speaking to soldiers and families in the mess hall about how difficult it can be to strike a work-life balance.
