Both were handed their own Colonelcies by The King. Queen Camilla had taken up the mantle of the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards and Kate stepped into Prince William‘s shoes as Colonel of the Irish Guards.
The Queen’s acceptance of Prince Andrew‘s former role as the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards generally followed tradition – as the position is typically held by the monarch’s consort.
Prince Andrew, however, was stripped of this role and his military associations when he stepped back as a working royal following his infamous BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis involving his association with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke of York, who previously served in the Falklands War, took over the role of Colonel from his father, Prince Philip, in 2017. However, a source revealed to The Sun: “There have been many nails in the Duke of York’s coffin and any deeply-desired wish to return to public duty but this is, without doubt, the final of final nails.”
Kate attended St. Patrick’s Day for the first time as Colonel in 2023, but she was accompanied by William. They both gave speeches at the event, with Prince William attending as the outgoing Colonel and Princess Kate appearing as the incoming Colonel.
Even before becoming the Colonel, Kate regularly joined William at the event and once even stepped in for her husband at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2012.
Last year, Kate missed the Guards’ celebrations after being diagnosed with cancer, but the princess, who is now gradually returning to public duties, today awarded long service and good conduct medals to soldiers.
She also presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen at Wellington Barracks in London.