The Princess of Wales attends parade for the first time since 2023

The Princess of Wales looked graceful in green on St. Patrick's Day. Her Royal Highness visited the Irish Guards at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Wellington Barracks on Monday.

Catherine was dressed for the holiday, wearing a dark green Alexander McQueen coat teamed with a matching scarf and fascinator. The Princess completed her ensemble with a gold shamrock brooch and her hair styled in an elegant updo. 

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During her visit, the royal presented traditional springs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen, as well as the Irish Wolf Hound regimental mascot. She also awarded long service and good conduct medals to soldiers within the regiment, and met with veterans of the guards and junior cadets from Northern Ireland. 

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While at Wellington Barracks, the senior guardsman in the battalion proposed a toast to Her Royal Highness. "Three cheers for the Colonel of the regiment," Barry Loughlin said. Following the cheers, the Princess of Wales sipped on a pint of Guinness.

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Catherine is Colonel of the Irish Guards. She took over the role from her husband, the Prince of Wales, in 2022. The Princess of Wales made her debut as colonel at the parade in 2023.  "I really couldn’t be prouder to stand in front of you here today. It really is a true honour 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," Catherine said at the time, while Prince William said, "I may be stepping aside, but in Colonel Catherine you have a committed, focussed, and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel."

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This year marked Catherine's first time back at the parade since 2023. Her Royal Highness missed the event last year, two months after undergoing major abdominal surgery in January 2024. It had been previously announced that the Princess was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter that year. Five days after St. Patrick's Day 2024, it was revealed that Catherine had started a course of preventative chemotherapy in late February. The Princess has since completed her treatment and is in remission.

Alongside photos from Catherine's return to the parade on Monday, the caption read: "Happy St Patrick's Day! Great to be back to join the Irish Guards for their annual St Patrick's Day parade here at Wellington Barracks. Proud to be your Colonel, and celebrate 125 years of the regiment with you today."