Nap time! Despite Prince William’s exciting attendance at London’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, a sleepy soldier could barely keep his eyes open. In a hilarious picture from the event, one guard is yawning on the job.
The Duke of Cambridge, 33, was there to present troops from the 1st Battalion Irish Guards with shamrocks.
Unlike the exhausted yawner, a more enthused serviceman approached the prince for a selfie. There, in the midst of handing out shamrocks, Wills chatted with a lucky guard who was clearly thrilled to be snagging a snapshot with the royal.
William’s selfie-taking session came after leading more than 600 soldiers to the Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, West London.
There were plenty of reasons to smile. This was the first time the entire battalion has been able to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day together in five years. Also making this year’s event special? It marked the first time a male member of the royal family was responsible for presenting the men with shamrocks — a tradition that dates back to 1901.
William, who serves as Colonel of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, also handed out a sprig to the regiment’s 4-year-old Irish wolfhound, Domhnall.
The duke’s wife, Kate Middleton, with whom he shares son George, 2, and daughter Charlotte, 10 months, left royal fans disappointed by choosing to put spending time with her children before duty (despite the fact she was in London until Tuesday afternoon). But aides insist to Us that it is actually William’s role as Colonel of the regiment to take part in the ceremony.
“The Duchess has very much enjoyed the occasions when she has been able to attend, but the Duke is the Colonel of the regiment,” a Kensington Palace spokeswoman said in a statement. “She won’t do it every year but the Duchess looks forward to marking St Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards many times in the future.”
