Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!
Two days before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Caribbean tour of Belize, Jamaica and Bahamas kicks off, the couple travelled to Mons Barrack in Aldershot for St Patrick's Day. It's been a treat to see the return of annual calendar staples. From the Commonwealth Day service earlier this week to today's engagement, we are very much back in the swing of the royal diary. It's particularly exciting given the significance of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year.
Prince William is colonel of the regiment, which he was made in May 2011; it was his first honorary position in the army. Her Majesty the Queen is Colonel in Chief of the regiment. As you all remember, the Prince opted to wear the Irish Guards tunic for the royal wedding.
The 1st Battalion Irish Guards affectionately and widely known as the Micks, are a Light Role Infantry Battalion.
'Of course, the last sprig of shamrock was reserved for the Regiment’s beloved Irish Wolfhound mascot Turlough Mὀr (Pron. Tur-lock More), affectionally known throughout the ranks simply as Shamus. Named after Turlough Mὸr of Connaught who ruled as High King of Ireland between 1136 and 1156AD he leads out the regiment on ceremonial occasions. He behaved impeccably as the Duchess knelt down to attach his sprig to his collar and congratulated him with a pat on his head.'
His handler, Drummer Adam Walsh said: "He’s loved by everyone in the battalion, no matter what happens people come up everyday to say hello to him and see how he’s getting on. He really boosts morale around the battalion. Me and him have a classic bond between us, he’s my dog and I’m his handler; we’re the best mates and that is why he’s so good."
More on the tradition inaugurated by Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, in 1901 when a decree stated:
'Her Majesty the Queen is pleased to order that in future, upon St. Patrick's Day, all ranks of her Irish regiments shall wear, as a distinction, a sprig of shamrock in their head dress to commemorate the gallantry of her Irish soldiers during the recent battles in South Africa.'
The tradition has become synonymous with a number of royals since, most notably the Queen Mother, who had a long affiliation and love for the Irish Guards after attending the annual military parade for the first time in 1927. It wasn't until 1964 she started to present the Royal Shamrock to the Battalion, describing it as a "great pleasure which has enabled me to forge a link with the regiment I greatly cherish". The regiment supplied the pallbearers for her funeral in 2002.
Kate was delighted to receive lovely posies from seven-year-old Darcey Rose Tomlinson, daughter of the battalion’s Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant and the other by Gaia Money.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the junior ranks dining hall where the Senior Guardsman in the battalion proposed a toast to the royals.
Below we see Kate in 2012 and 2013 wearing a green Emilia Wickstead coat; in 2014 the Duchess opted for her very stylish Hobbs London Persephone trench; and in 2015 she surprised us in a chestnut brown Catherine Walker coat. In 2017 and 2018 Kate chose bespoke green Catherine Walker creations. Most recently, in 2019, Kate wore a bespoke Alexander McQueen creation.
A very Happy St Patrick's Day to all celebrating!
Several readers have been in touch regarding the tour itinerary. I understand when KP officially confirmed the tour, members of the press were informed additional guidance would be offered quite shortly. I'm still hoping we'll see an outline of the itinerary tonight or tomorrow as with previous tours. Just two days until the couple arrive in Belize. It's certainly going to make for gorgeous photographs with views like this :)
Gorgeous coat, gorgeous hat but somehow they don't work together! The coat is quite masculine and the lapels are quite sharp, so I think a larger or more rounded hat would have balanced it out better. Also, the two shades of green don't match, but aren't different enough to complement each other, in my opinion. Can't wait to see them in Belize and relive memories of my trip there over 10 years ago now!
ReplyDeleteI had the same thought. The hat almost makes her head look too blunt or something.
DeleteKate looks very stylish in this new coat with it's long, pointed lapels! The lapels are just the same as on the coat Zara was wearing this week at Cheltenham. It is so nice to see the annual engagements taking place again! I also am happy to see Kate use another designer. I can't wait for the tour!
ReplyDeleteI love the style of the coat and the long lapels too IBR! Also loved every look from Zara at Cheltenham and thought she and her husband looked great together! I am wondering if we will see some new designers from Kate on the tour! Can't wait for the landing as that first look sometimes sets the stage for the remainder of the tour.
DeleteI want to know more about those earrings!
ReplyDeleteMe too! Has she worn them before? I don’t remember them
DeleteShe has worn these small emerald drop earings a number of times since their debut in 2012. The Cout Jeweller has an article on them with more photos.
DeleteLove this! Well done Kate and William!
ReplyDeleteBoth look very smart today and I appreciate them celebrating St Patricks day. Its a double bank holiday here. 🇮🇪 👍. The shade of green is a bit dark for my liking and the overall look at bit too military. I'm looking forward to the tour next week. S. ☺
ReplyDeleteCatherine looks gorgeous. Love the coat and hat. This event is always one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteSo good to see Kate on St Patrick’s Day again! I would have wished she had worn something more feminine and whimsical—but no matter. Main thing was to see her out & about as normalcy returns to the world. Hooray!
ReplyDeleteBeth in SF
I was very pleased to read today that Patrick Jephson has received a settlement from the BBC. He always came across as a very good personal assistant to the late Princess, who had her best interests at heart. How cruel to undermine that support she had. To play on a vulnerable young woman like this is disgusting. I don't think people understand how much her life and its outcome changed because of that interview. I said it before and will say again. SHAME on the BBC.
ReplyDeleteAgree. That’s why William was so angry on his statement and said all what happened around the interview contributed to Diana’s paranoia. People of course tried to make it look as if he was criticizing his mother but more than anybody he knows how Diana felt after that interview.
DeleteI forgot to add, Being the true gentleman he always was. Mr Jephson is donating the settlement he received. It will go to a children's hospice in Wales. In memory of The Late Princess of Wales. S. ☺
DeleteAn incredibly generous donation. I wrote about the hospice on The Royal Digest. It has an amazing royal history.
Deletehttps://theroyaldigest.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-welsh-hospice-with-links-to-charles.html
Very generous indeed. Thank you for the link Charlotte, I will check that out. When I saw that the late Princess was in the news again I was reminded of her own words. "I won't go quietly" She certainly hasn't. Earl Spencer had a very interesting comment to make on it. He said "there is more to come out about this before long". S. ☺
DeleteThat was a interesting read. Thanks Charlotte. I didn't know about the Royal Digest blog. 👌. I remember the concert and the amazing work that she did for the hospice. I wasn't aware that the Prince had maintained his support for them. S. ☺
DeleteKate looks lovely and by far her best look compared with the others she has worn at this event but I’m starting to find it a bit wasteful to own so many coats for these occasions. I would like to see some re wearing of her coats. I think this outfit is worthy of repeating at some stage.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like we haven't seen Kate repeat her coats, because she does. I for one am not upset that this event, along with her Commonwealth look were new, or at least never seen by us, because we have had two years of scaled back appearances and this return to normalcy seems like a much needed renewal. I think these past few years Kate has demonstrated that she can and does rewear clothes and she manages on ALL occasions to be appropriately dressed, classic, and elegant. I for one, am glad she pulled out no stops for these two recent looks; she was stunning in the blue, quite regal, and this green is smartly attractive, and both are in keeping with her sense of style. She and William make a very handsome couple and I love the Irish Guard uniform! There was something a little less formal and more intimate about yesterday's St. Patrick Day that was really nice to see. I am sure Kate will rewear this coat and then we will make comments about it again, and who knows perhaps it was meant for Christmas Day and in that event she could have worn it twice already.
DeleteI believe Kate has worn almost, if not all, of these coats at other engagements as well. Personally, after such a long absence, I'm glad she went all out with an entirely new outfit.
DeleteLove the look. How many green coats does one need... but... one of my favorite events because of the dog!!
ReplyDeleteI agree-how many green coats does she need? And how many black coats does she need for Remembrance Sunday? And she probably has at least a room set aside for her massive coat collection in general.
DeleteI agree she has too many clothes but it would be absolutely disrespectful to attend Remembrance or Saint Patrick’s with the same clothes year after year. She’s not a military woman and doesn’t have an uniform. She’s already worn repeated coats to both events so I’m sure she will repeat in the years to come.
DeleteI don't think it would be inherently disrespectful at all to just keep rotating what she currently has. Give the money that would otherwise be spent to East Anglia Children's Hospital.
DeleteShe looks fabulous. It is so lovely to see her dressed once again more in-line with her position and not in those awful, overly long trousers she has been so fond of the last two years.
ReplyDeleteI don't get this. Royals can't wear trousers?
DeleteObviously they can since Kate has worn them quite often lately.
DeleteI agree! Too many trousers. I long for lovely dresses and yes, new outfits even if it may seam wasteful. On the other hand, everytime she buys a new expensive coat, she is giving work to a good many people in the UK.
DeleteI’m just happy to see them out at this event again! They both look great and we got some beautiful photos. I like that the shoes add a feminine touch. Thank you for all the information you give us! Sue
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this event and and so happy to see Kate back, in style! The material of the coat as well as the tailoring is beautiful! Love her accessories and agree that while the hat looks dark, depending on how the light hits it, you can see it picks up on the darker tone in the material. It is an elegant look for the Duchess in what, in my opinion, is her signature event! There is just something special about all of it, the tradition, the dog, the two of them together. William looks so handsome in his uniform, and they seem very comfortable and happy! Maybe one day this will be passed on to Charlotte to attend! Nice all the way around and looking forward to a tour! Nice start to the Jubilee year in honor of the Queen.
ReplyDeleteSo many coats of the same color. I wish she would repeat them more often. She looked lovely though. Not sure I liked the hat and hairstyle though.
ReplyDeleteThis was lovely. The child in the bearskin hat can not possibly be seven, three or four maybe. She was adorable; and I love Kate's reaction!
ReplyDeleteHer interactions with that sweet and adorable little Gaia!!Just what I needed to put a much-needed smile on my face. Thanks Charlotte,for capturing that moment for us all.
ReplyDeleteI love the coat! The cut, color (nice change), and the fit on Kate is perfection. But I too wonder if "new" greenish coat was needed. Yes, agreed that she has worn many of the coats for this occasion more than once but she has green coats from the Christmas holiday as well. There are two coats I'd like to see again. One she wore outside of Windsor Castle for Christmas and the other is lovely green coat she wore on the Ireland tour. I think the military style for this event - when she is photographed with the Regiment - is well suited. And I thought the hat color and coat complemented each other. Wonderful to see life back to normal.
ReplyDeleteKate looks beautiful as always. I like the cut and fit of the coat, but I would prefer it to be shorter. I dislike the collar and the hat.
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteHave you got any information about when will the Cambridges land with the plane today?
Hello!
DeleteI've been told Voyager will land in Belize in the "afternoon". I'm expecting anywhere from 6 p.m. UK time. We haven't seen a full outline of events unfortunately, it's going to be very much a case of waiting to see on the day. I'm expecting an airport arrival and a meeting with the Prime Minister of Belize today.
It looks like their plans are changed before they even arrive there. The people of Indian Creek don't want them there, or landing their helicopter on their land. Its a pity really to have the tour start like this. Here in Ireland we have a very long and troubled history with Britain. The Duke and Duchess received a very warm welcome here. As did Prince Charles and a especially warm welcome for The Queen's visit. S. ☺
DeleteETA for arrival is about 3 pm in Belize (9pm in UK).
DeleteHi Charlotte, I just love reading your blog. I adore the incredible background information that you give us, and the beautiful way you have with words. It’s a rare talent, and I’m sure like me, you have so many readers that love the unbiased way that you share your love of our Royal Family with us. So, a sincere thank you from me, you’re amazing! I have a question for you. I know St Patrick’s Day was an event that was dear to the Queen Mother, who passed away the same week that my son was born in 2002. Which Royal family member took over from the Queen Mum, until Catherine took over this wonderful event in 2012? xx Dee
ReplyDeleteDee, thank you for such a lovely comment! The Princess Royal stepped in after the Queen Mother passed, it's now firmly associated with Kate. It's a lovely tradition to continue and always a beautifully organised event.
Deleteshe looks lovely
ReplyDeleteI love this coat, which I am sure will be re-worn over the years. Catherine often wears green at other times and part of her public persona is a fashionable and elegant look. Not certain why this new piece set off such a lot of grumbles.
ReplyDeleteAny event with shamrocks, children, and a lovely big dog is a winner. On to Belize!
Karen in Virginia