The Princess of Wales has spoken of her pride in the Irish Guards in her first major speech as their Colonel.
The Princess told the regiment that her new role was a ”true honour” and she promised to ”listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do” and added ”this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.”
The new Colonel was handing out shamrocks to the Irish Guards for the first time since taking on her new role. In past years, Catherine has accompanied her husband, Prince William, to the ceremony as he was their Colonel. He is now the Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
On a rainy St. Patrick’s Day, the couple arrived at the Mon Barracks at Aldershot where there were flowers for the Princess as well as a promise of a pint for both her and her husband.
The new Colonel presented shamrocks to the regiment and their mascot, the Irish wolfhound, Turlough Mor.
As the rain poured down, the Princess took the salute and posed for a regimental photo.
There were speeches from both the outgoing and incoming Colonels of the regiment.
As he made his farewell speech, the Prince of Wales said ”I’m incredibly sad to be giving this speech, as it really does mean my time as your Colonel has come to an end. It has been one of the great honours of my life to hold that title; I’m proud of everything it stands for – just as I’m immensely proud of every single one of you.”
He spoke of his long held admiration for the regiment and praised the wide range of operations they undertake, including work in Africa. The Prince also spoke to the families of those serving in the Irish Guards, telling them ‘‘ I hope you know how truly grateful I am to all of you too. On this, my 13th and final St Patrick’s Day as Colonel, not only am I saddened that I’ll likely fail once again to finish a pint of Guinness… but I am also sad that I won’t in future see more of you, the families, whose unwavering support enables these outstanding men and women to do what they do.”
And he had warm words for his own predecessor as Colonel, marking the recent death of Major General Sir Sebastian Roberts. The Prince of Wales described him as ”loved by generations of Irish Guardsmen and many, many others”, and noted ‘‘he was, quite simply, a phenomenon. I was proud to know him, and I extend mine and Colonel Catherine’s heartfelt condolences to Lady Roberts and his family, and to you – his other family: the Irish Guards.”
The Prince then told the regiment ” In Colonel Catherine you have a committed, focussed, and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel. As you serve together over the years ahead, know that I will continue to watch you, with huge pride in having been one of you.”
The new Colonel praised her predecessor, saying ”I want to thank Colonel William. He has always talked about his fierce pride for this Regiment. I know he will continue to support us all in the work we do.”
The Princess of Wales spoke of the qualities she had already seen on display during a visit to Salisbury Plain in recent days, adding ‘I was hugely impressed with your insistence that nothing is as bad as it seems, and – most of all – your boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour. That’s what makes you who you are and what makes the Irish Guards unique.”
She finished by looking to the future, saying ”I look forward to spending more time with you and your families, seeing your commitment to duty and service in all you do.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales spent time with soldiers and their families in the mess afterwards, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
