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The Princess of Wales shared a joyful moment as she held hands with the three-year-old daughter of a soldier serving in the Irish Guards after attending the regiment’s annual St Patrick’s Day Parade.
As Colonel of the regiment, Kate attended the ceremony at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, on Tuesday. For the occasion, she wore a bottle-green coat adorned with an Irish Guards cap star — a piece originally presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the regiment in the 1960s.
She wished the officers and guardsmen a happy St Patrick’s Day as she handed out the traditional sprigs of shamrock. During the visit, she also warmly greeted the regiment’s mascot, an Irish wolfhound named Turlough Mor, affectionately known as Seamus.
After the parade — which ended with three cheers for Kate as she took the royal salute — the princess presented good conduct and long-service medals to three soldiers before meeting the families of others in the officers’ mess.
She also met Lance Sergeant Mills, who had led the drums and pipes during the parade, along with his wife Jessica and their three-year-old daughter Vienna. The little girl bounced with excitement as the princess crouched down to greet her.
“Are you excited?” Kate asked Vienna, before complimenting the little girl on her “beautiful hair” and clapping as she twirled in her blue dress.
The princess then held out her hands, and Vienna grabbed them before playfully swinging down toward the floor.
Kate laughed as she gently helped the child back to her feet. Soon after, another young girl joined them — three-year-old Mila, the daughter of Sergeant English.
READ MORE: Princess Kate Dazzles in Green During St Patrick’s Day Visit With the Irish Guards
Taking Mila’s hands, Kate complimented the little girl on her dress and matching green bow, asking whether “mummy” had helped her get ready.
LSgt Mills said meeting the princess was “such a great opportunity” and revealed that his daughter had been looking forward to it “all week.”
He added, “I led the drums and pipes on today, so that was a big moment for me in my career.”
His wife Jessica also shared her thoughts, saying, “(Kate’s) just so easy to talk to, and really down to earth, I wasn’t actually expecting that. It’s my first time getting to come to the parade, so it was really lovely.”
Drummer Joseph G.S. Aldridge, who handles Seamus, said Kate “always loves” greeting the dog. During the parade, the princess gave Seamus a sprig of shamrock, pinning it to his red coat.
Drummer Aldridge explained: “It’s nice because she remembered me from last year. She asked how he’s doing, (said) it’s lovely to see him, as always. He’s fit, he’s healthy, that’s what she wanted to know – how healthy he is. She always loves saying hello to Seamus.”
The soldier also described it as a “privilege” to have the Princess of Wales serving as the regiment’s colonel. He added: “Every regiment of the guards has their own member of the royal family, and they have their own traditions with the royal family, so it’s a really nice day for her to come out and celebrate St Patrick’s Day with us.”
Kate became colonel of the Irish Guards in December 2022, succeeding the Prince of Wales.
Her husband now serves as colonel of the Welsh Guards, while the King is colonel of the Coldstream Guards, the Queen is colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Duke of Edinburgh is colonel of the Scots Guards.
Now nearing the end of its 125th anniversary year, the Irish Guards regiment was founded by Queen Victoria and has recently played an important role in Operation Interflex, a UK-led programme that provides battlefield training to Ukrainian soldiers.
