On Wednesday, March 12, Kensington Palace announced that Prince William was making his first overseas trip of the year—and his first visit to Estonia—but some royal fans were left disappointed that the Princess of Wales wasn't traveling with him. However, just hours later the palace released a second bit of news, sharing that Princess Kate would be making her official return to St. Patrick's Day duties.
The Princess of Wales, who serves as Colonel of the Irish Guards, will visit the regiment at the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in London's Wellington Barracks on March 17. The princess was forced to skip last year's parade due to her cancer diagnosis, which she publicly announced on March 22, 2024.
Per Kensington Palace, the Princess of Wales "will award long service and good conduct medals to soldiers within the regiment." And along with presenting sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen, she'll take part in one of the most anticipated parts of the parade by greeting Turlough Mór (otherwise known as Seamus), the regiment's Irish Wolfhound mascot. And, per tradition, she'll enjoy a pint of Guinness in the dining hall where guardsmen will propose a toast to the princess.
Although Prince William often accompanies his wife at the traditional St. Patrick's Day event, he will not be attending this year.
The princess made her first appearance at the event in 2012, attending the St. Patrick's Day parade solo less than a year after she married Prince William.
Since then, the Princess of Wales has attended the parade every year except for 2016, when she decided to spend time with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at their Norfolk home ahead of a royal tour to India and Bhutan. In 2020 and 2021, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for Prince William's plans next week, he'll be visiting Estonia on March 20 and 21. The prince will visit the Mercian Regiment—an infantry regiment of the British Army—in his role as Colonel-in-Chief. He'll also learn how the country is responding to the conflict in Ukraine and will take on engagements related to renewable energy and technology.
