On St. Patrick’s Day, many people from all over the world head to bars to drink a pint of Guinness or grab a green beer, and that includes the Princess of Wales. On Monday, Kate Middleton sipped on Guinness during her visit with the Irish Guards – her first solo royal engagement since she was diagnosed with cancer last year.
Though Kate missed out on the parade last year because of her health, she was back in action this St. Patty’s Day. For the first time, she attended alone. Prince William wasn’t there, but as the colonel of the Irish Guards (a title Kate was given in 2022) how could she miss out?
As Drummer Joseph Aldridge told People, the Guards were happy to have Kate there, and it sounds like their mascot, an Irish Wolfhound named Seamus, was as well.
“She’s our colonel, and obviously, we want her to come to our parade every year, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, she couldn’t [last year]. It’s nice to see her come out and get to meet everyone – especially Seamus,” he said.
During her visit, the Guards also paid tribute to Kate with a toast, offering three cheers for their colonel as they each sipped their pints of Guinness. She can be seen drinking from her glass in the video that follows, and of course, because this is a princess we’re talking about, she managed to do so elegantly.
Speaking of Guinness, Kate also extended a sweet gesture to the soldiers in 2024, when she was unable to celebrate them in person. At the time, The Daily Mail reported that Kate paid £2,000 (or about $2,600 in US dollars) toward a tab at a bar in Aldershot so they could stop by and drink as much beer as they wanted on the holiday. Reportedly, that would have paid for about 700 pints, so it seems the soldiers were certainly well taken care of in her absence!
Along with her appearance at London’s Wellington Barracks on Monday, Kate also provided a few words on the official Instagram account she shares with William.
“Great to be back to join the Irish Guards for their annual St Patrick’s Day parade here at Wellington Barracks,” she wrote. “Proud to be your Colonel, and celebrate 125 years of the regiment with you today.”
