Green goddess Kate and her very big fan
THE outfit was an eyecatching colour and the hair showed signs of a good shampooing. And that was just the regimental mascot.
Domhnall the Irish wolfhound met the Duchess of Cambridge yesterday as she and Prince William attended a traditional parade of the Irish Guards to mark St Patrick’s Day.
Kate and her husband, who has been Colonel of the Irish Guards since 2011, paid their annual visit to the 1st Battalion at their base in Hounslow, west London – and also took the opportunity to sip some Guinness.
In a ceremony stretching back more than a century, Kate presented sprigs of shamrock to officers, as well as stopping to pet Domhnall.
The duchess followed tradition by wearing emerald green, teaming an Alexander McQueen coat with a matching Lock and Co hat and £510 Gianvito Rossi pumps.
‘Helps me through the parade’
She added a pair of special edition green amethyst and green tourmaline earrings from Kiki McDonough.
After Kate presented the shamrock to officers and warrant officers, three cheers were raised to the royal couple before a march past where William took the salute in his Irish Guards uniform. The royals also led a minute’s silence for the New Zealand terror attack victims.
Watched proudly by members of their families, some 350 soldiers marched on the parade square at Cavalry Barracks, several wrapped up in blankets to keep out the cold March wind.
Leading the procession was Domhnall, whom Kate stroked several times while presenting him with a shamrock. The couple have had several friendly encounters at official functions with the gentle giant. Drummer David Murray, his handler, said the St Patrick’s Day parade was ‘number one’ in his calendar and like a ‘second birthday’.
The mascot received his first shamrock in 2013 and Drummer Murray joked that the dog ‘helps me through the parade, he knows what he’s doing’.
After the parade Kate and William drank Guinness with some of the soldiers. Warrant Officer Ryan Orr was accompanied by his six-year-old son Kallum and recalled that when the youngster met the couple at the parade three years ago ‘he put his hand in Prince William’s pint’.
He also spoke of the importance of the St Patrick’s Day parade. ‘It means a lot because we get together, have a good drink and a catch-up at the same time.
‘The battalion’s due to deploy to South Sudan and Iraq this year so it’s extra special to get together as one before.’