The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were left chuckling today as Lieutenant Colonel Rob Money put a bearskin hat on his 20-month-old daughter Gaia Money’s head during the royal couple’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day visit to the Irish Guards.
Kate Middleton, 40, cut a chic figure in a gorgeous £3,200 Laura Green London dress, which she matched perfectly with complementing emerald accessories and a shamrock brooch, as she visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Mons Barracks in Aldershot.The Duchess went on to present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen who will in turn issue it along the ranks, while the Duke, 39, could be seen proudly watching on.
The mother-of-three appeared in high spirits during the parade, taking a moment to ruffle the head of the Irish Guards mascot Turlough Mor, before appearing utterly charmed by one young family attending the event. It marks the first the time the mother-of-three and Prince William have attended the parade since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Duchess swept her brunette locks into a low bun for the occasion, opting for a smart emerald fascinator which she wore atop her head.
Meanwhile she kept her makeup neutral, with a sweep of dark eyeliner across her lid and a touch of nude lipstick.
Popular among wealthy fashionistas, Laura Green London employs teams of expert dressmakers to create bespoke pieces for their clients, who include presenters Lucy Verasamy and Charlotte Hawkins, and television personality Georgia Toffolo.Zara Tindall, the Queen’s eldest granddaughter, wore a Laura Green houndstooth coat dress to the Cheltenham Festival earlier this week. The designer has been operating the pop-up store in the capital during the pandemic, but normally insists on appointment-only visits to her private London showroom.
On her website, Laura Green states: ‘Fashion has the power to uplift and we want our clients to feel unbound to where or when they envision themselves wearing the pieces.’As well as presenting the Irish guards with the sprigs of shamrock, the Duchess shared a playful moment with the Irish Wolf Hound regimental mascot. Animal lover Kate, who has a cocker spaniel puppy at home, presented the animal with his own sprig of shamrock to mark the occasion before ruffling the fur on his head and beaming.The parade will conclude with a march-past where Prince William will take the salute.
Following the parade the Duke and Duchess then met members of the Regiment before sitting for official Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess photographs and a photo with Irish Guards in every rank in the British Army. Kate and William will then visit the Junior Ranks dining hall where the Senior Guardsman in the Battalion will propose a toast to Their Royal Highnesses. A custom begun by Queen Alexandra in 1901, the St Patrick’s Day shamrocks were once presented by the Queen Mother, although in recent years, Princess Anne has also taken on the job.
Since 2012, however, the duty has fallen to Kate, whose husband, the Duke of Cambridge, is the current royal colonel of the Irish Guards.The Irish Guards have been a part of the British army since 1900, when they were founded by a royal decree from Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who died fighting during the Boer War.The engagement comes amid a busy period for the couple, who are about to embark on a week-long tour of the Caribbean.William and Kate will visit the Caribbean as part of a tour of Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize – countries that are all still Commonwealth realms.
The couple are set to launch a royal charm offensive on their first joint visit to Jamaica – with insiders hoping Kate will be a key player in persuading the country to stay in the Commonwealth.
In November, Barbados made the move to become a republic, losing the Queen as its official head of state, and Jamaica’s prime minister has confirmed his own country would now be keen to follow suit. Andrew Holness, Jamaica’s prime minister, said just days after the official ceremony took place in Barbados to mark independence: ‘There is no question that Jamaican has to become republic.’ However, the Cambridges’ first major joint overseas tour since before the pandemic – coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – could see the country persuaded otherwise.
A visit from Kate and William – England’s future king and queen – could shore up crucial support for the Monarchy in the region.
And earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and hundreds of dignitaries and schoolchildren at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
The Queen, who has recently recovered from coronavirus and has been experiencing mobility issues, had hoped to attend in person but asked her son Charles to represent her at the service after discussing arrangements with members of the Royal Household.
Ensuring the comfort of the monarch, who now regularly uses a stick, is thought to have been an overriding consideration in her decision not to take part.
Prince William and Kate Middleton appear to have leapfrogged the customer queue for the all-new Range Rover, with the Royal couple pictured arriving in one of the great British brand’s flagship SUVs that aren’t due to arrive with buyers for at least another month.With Range Rover’s parent company Jaguar Land Rover holding all three Royal Warrants, it’s no surprise to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge using the luxury 4X4 on official duties.
However, their Royal connection might have helped them take delivery of their car well in advance of other customers, who may have ordered a new Range – which starts from £94,400 in the UK – but whose delivery dates are still weeks away.And Wills and Kate have even gazumped the world’s motoring press, which is yet to have a drive of the flashy motor with the car’s global launch event taking place in the US early in April – which MailOnline and This is Money will be attending.
The Duke and Duchess were pictured today in the brand new SUV while attending the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Aldershot.
The dark blue 4X4 is likely the first 2022 Range Rover on the road in the hands of someone other than JLR personnel.Records show that the car was first registered in November and appears to be a P400 model, which features a mild hybrid ‘straight six’ cylinder 3.0-litre petrol engine with 400 horsepower.
This can propel the hulking SUV from zero to 62mph in 5.8 seconds and has a top speed of 150mph. Prices for this engine option start from £98,000 for the standard short-wheelbase model – though this Royal example kitted out with all the bells and whistles would likely ring in at well over £100,000.It weighs over three tonnes and emits 220g/km of CO2 – so it’s far from the greenest vehicle on the road today. We asked Jaguar Land Rover to clarify details of the motor, but were told by a spokesman for the brand that ‘JLR does not comment on Royal vehicles’.
