The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge celebrated St Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards, but it was an officer’s young daughter who stole the show with her antics.
Kate was fittingly dressed in an emerald green outfit for the couple’s visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick’s Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot in Hampshire.
William is colonel of the Irish Guards and the event was the first time the Cambridges have been able to celebrate the annual event with the officers and soldiers from the regiment since the pandemic began.
During the ceremony, 20-month-old Gaia Money grabbed two bouquets from the duchess and a smiling Kate said: “Shall we swap. Now you have both of them.”
When Gaia’s father, lieutenant colonel Rob Money, placed his bearskin hat over his daughter’s head, Kate said: “That’s so sweet. Do you fit inside it.”
The toddler’s mother Lorraine Money said afterwards: “The duchess was lovely. Gaia took both bouquets, and she let them keep them. Gaia has been practising her curtsey at nursery school but failed!
“I am from Jamaica, and we spoke about Jamaica, as they are going there next week.”
The duchess, wearing a green coat by Laura Green and hat by Lock & Co, pinned a sprig of shamrock on the Irish Guards mascot – a two-year-old Irish Wolfhound.
The dog, called Turlough Mor, also known as Seamus, and handler drummer Adam Walsh, stood to attention on the parade ground.
Kate wore shamrock on her jacket and William, dressed in a military coat, had a sprig on his cap for the couple’s visit.
The duchess handed baskets filled with shamrock sprigs to regimental leaders to hand out to the ranks and she chatted and smiled as she presented officers with the plant – a symbol of Ireland.
She told them: “Good morning, have some shamrock. Happy St Patrick’s Day.”
