A lucky day! Prince William and Duchess Kate celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by joining in on the annual parade and celebration for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The couple visited the Irish Guards for their annual event in Aldershot, England, on Thursday, March 17. William, 39, and Kate, 40, were photographed giving out shamrocks to the crowd and partaking in the festivities.
“Happy #StPatricksDay wherever in the world you’re celebrating today!” the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tweeted that same day after meeting the officers and guardsman within the British Army at the Junior Ranks dining hall.
William and Kate previously missed out on the parade in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One year later, the pair commemorated the special day with a festive message amid their absence.
“We’re delighted to wish you all a very happy St. Patrick’s Day,” Kate said in a video in March 2021, before her husband added, “We were so thrilled to be able to visit Ireland just over a year ago, a few short weeks before all of our lives were turned upside down by the pandemic.”
Kate continued: “The warm welcome we received everywhere was a testament to the friendship between our two countries, and the strength of the relationship between the U.K. and Ireland.”
The public appearance comes after a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the twosome have been enjoying their increased time in Berkshire. “It’s where Kate was raised and the place they feel most comfortable as a family whenever they go to visit which is a lot more often than people realize,” the insider shared early last month about their transition outside of Kensington Palace.
According to the source, “The country life suits them so much better in terms of the pace and environment, plus it’s not too far from London when they need to commute.”
William and Kate, who share Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, were also able to find their favorite “village pubs for Sunday roasts,” several child daycare centers and “a church they’re very familiar with” already.
The insider noted that the royal family members were thrilled by the chance to “blend in with locals and not be bothered” by others. “The plan is to spend plenty more time with the Middletons in Buckleberry, which won’t be far from the new residence William and Kate have earmarked as their new primary residence,” the source added at the time. “The whole family is extremely excited and can’t wait.”
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Scroll on to see William and Kate ringing in St. Patrick’s Day:
