Prince William and Catherine have marked their first St. David’s Day as the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
This marked the first time the Prince visited the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards since becoming Colonel of the Regiment. During the parade, he presented leeks to Officers and Guardsmen who, in return, would issue the leek upon their ranks. A traditional part of the St. David’s Day parade, as legend tells, the nation’s patron saint told Welsh soldiers to wear a leek on their helmets as a way to identify themselves in the battle against the Saxons.
Taking over the role of Colonel from his father, King Charles III, the Prince said in a speech:
“I am both honoured and delighted to be standing here in front of you today as your new Colonel. At the same time, I’m sorry that my father couldn’t be here with us here today to say farewell, but I know he would talk of his fierce pride and admiration for you all, and of his own sadness to be moving on from an appointment he held so dear since 1975...
“I believe it’s only with these bonds and this ‘togetherness’, that you can create a strong body of professional soldiers, but of course, it’s not just each other that we rely upon. The support of our families, our friends and our loved ones, is vital, and I’m so pleased to see many of them here today. None of us could do what we do without their support, and I look forward to meeting you and your families over the coming years and getting to know you all.”
The Princess joined her husband in handing out symbolic leeks and even received one herself – a move that some say mirrors another national day, St. Patrick’s Day. Her Royal Highness is known to hand out symbolic shamrocks to Irish Guards during a St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a tradition she has carried out multiple times.
Before soldiers were dismissed, the band played a rendition of the Welsh national anthem in which the Princess sang along in Welsh. “God Save The King” was played following the Welsh national anthem. As the troops marched away, the Prince gave a royal salute.
During the pageantry, William and Catherine met with regiment families and a group of troops from the 5th Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR.) The group is currently in the UK to help train Ukrainian armed forces. During the week, the royal couple had several other engagements, including spending a day in the country and visiting Cardiff to watch Wales play England in rugby.
St. David’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Day, is known as the feast day of Saint David in Wales. Celebrated on 1 March, it marks the day people believe patron saint David died in 589 AD. This allows the Welsh to celebrate their culture and heritage through festivities such as food festivals and parades.
