The Princess of Wales has confirmed her St Patrick's Day plans, with the royal due to visit the Irish Guards. The royal serves as the colonel of the regiment.
Kate, 43, traditionally spends St Patrick's Day with the group, and she will mark the annual celebration at the Wellington Barracks in London. During her visit, the royal will present long service and good conduct medals to members of the regiment.
The mum-of-three will then join in the regiment's parade and will present the traditional sprig of shamrock to officers and guardsmen, as well as to the Irish Wolf Hound regional mascot. The officers will then further distribute the shamrock to others in the ranks.
Kate will then meet members of the guard, alongside the 'Mini Micks,' who are junior cadets from Northern Ireland, before taking part in the official photographs of the officers and sergeants.
© Getty ImagesHer visit will conclude with a visit to the Junior Ranks dining hall, where she will be toasted by senior guardsmen in the battalion. After this, she will speak with soldiers about their experience serving before meeting their families in the Sergeants' Mess.
Kate's new plans were announced shortly after it was confirmed that family friend, the Duke of Westminster, was expecting his first child with wife Olivia.
© Getty ImagesIn a statement, a spokesperson for the couple said: "The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are very pleased to share that the Duchess is expecting a baby in the summer. The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together."
5 memorable royal pregancies
© Getty Images1. Queen Elizabeth II's first pregnancy
The late Queen's pregnancies were never formally announced. Instead, Buckingham Palace released a statement alluding to then Princess Elizabeth's first pregnancy with Charles, which read: "Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth will undertake no public engagements after the end of June." Charles was born on 14 November 1948, a year into his parents' marriage.
2. Princess Diana's first pregnancy
In November 1981, Princess Diana announced she was expecting her first child with Charles, who was then Prince of Wales. The palace shared a much more personal statement, saying the couple were "delighted by the news," just a few months after their wedding. Prince William, a future King, arrived on 21 June 1982.
3. Sarah, Duchess of York pregnancies
The line of succession grew as Sarah, Duchess of York and her then-husband, Prince Andrew, announced in January 1988 they were "very pleased" to be expecting their first baby. Their eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, was born on 8 August 1988, and second daughter, Princess Eugenie, arrived on 23 March 1990.
4. The Princess of Wales's first pregnancy
Kensington Palace were forced to announce Princess Kate's pregnancy earlier than planned, after the then Duchess of Cambridge was hospitalised with hyperemesis gravidarum (a severe form of pregnancy sickness). She was discharged from King Edward VII after a three-day stay.
5. The Duchess of Sussex's first pregnancy
In October 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were expecting their first child after arriving in Sydney, Australia for their first overseas royal tour since their marriage a few months prior.
Since their wedding, the Duke and Duchess have maintained a private life, even managing to stay out of the spotlight when they attended the wedding of Olivia's younger brother, Jasper Henson, in September 2024.
The intimate celebration took place at the breathtaking Lupiana Monastery, just outside Madrid, where Jasper married Isabel Rodríguez-Legorburu.
King Charles's godson met Olivia in 2021 through mutual friends, and the couple celebrated their engagement two years later, in April 2023, with a casual photograph on the grounds of his family home, Eaton Hall in Cheshire.
