Princess Kate makes major announcement as Palace issues statement | Royal | News

Catherine will join the parade and present the traditional shamrock sprigs to Officers and Guardsmen, who in turn distribute it among the ranks and present the Irish Wolfhound to the regimental mascot. The event will culminate with a Royal Salute and parade where the future Queen will receive the salute as Colonel of the regiment.

According to the Palace, Catherine will also award long service and good conduct medals to soldiers within the regiment and meet ‘Mini Micks’, a group of Regimental Corps Members of the Irish Guards and young cadets from Northern Ireland.

He will also attend the Sergeants Meeting to meet regimental members and their families and recognize their significant contribution to supporting our Armed Forces.

The princess took part in the annual parade last year after skipping the parade in 2024 after undergoing major abdominal surgery in January of that year and then being diagnosed with cancer that month.

Catherine announced on March 22, 2024 that she had been diagnosed with a form of cancer.

The 2024 parade of the Irish Guards took place on March 17. At the time, the princess was thought to be still recovering from abdominal surgery she underwent in January.

In January 2025, Catherine announced that she was cancer-free and has since returned to royal life.

Irish Guards serve a dual role as top-notch infantry soldiers, specializing in front-line combat roles requiring excellence in the use of Machine Guns, Anti-Tank missiles, Mortars, Reconnaissance and Sniper abilities, and are often seen guarding Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle as the Monarch’s ceremonial personal guard.

Long after providing vital support to the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Irish Guards is now committed to modernization and remaining at the forefront of emerging operational capabilities.

They are a “leading force” in the development of the UK’s drone warfare capability.