Irish Guards' eyes are smiling on Kate

THE Princess of Wales marked St Patrick's Day in true Irish style with Guinness, shamrocks and smiles at the Irish Guards' annual parade.

- Emily Ferguson

Kate has been colonel of the British Army regiment since 2023, when she took over the role from Prince William.

After being unable to attend last year's March 17 parade, which took place a few days before she revealed her cancer diagnosis, she yesterday paid tribute to the Irish Guards as it celebrated its 125th anniversary.

While revellers celebrated the patron saint across Ireland and the UK, the princess, 43, fittingly dressed in a festive green Alexander McQueen coat, green Lock & Co hat and shamrock brooch, inspected the troops at London's Wellington Barracks, where she was presented with traditional shamrock sprigs by a guardsman.

In the officers' mess she mentioned her children Prince Louis, six, and Princess Charlotte, nine, as she met Major General Sir Christopher Ghika and Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark and their wives and other senior Irish Guards officers.