Kate Middleton has a new title.
King Charles III made his daughter-in-law the new honorary colonel of the Irish Guards. As such, he will participate in the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration and toast Guinness beer, a popular Irish brand.
Princess Kate, 40, is actually taking the role from the person closest to her: her husband, Prince William, reports People. Queen Elizabeth made her nephew an honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2011, just two months before Kate and William’s royal wedding, when the groom donned his red Irish Guards officer’s uniform for the ceremony at Westminster Abbey .
Prince William now has a new royal role of his own: King Charles has made him Colonel of the Welsh Guards, matching his new title of Prince of Wales. This was made clear in a speech delivered just one day after Queen Elizabeth’s death on 8 September.
Even Queen Camilla has a new title: she was named Colonel of the Grenadiers by her husband, an honor taken from Prince Andrew by his late mother.
The appointment of the new colonels clarifies some of the issues that have arisen since Prince Andrew was stripped of his title following the scandal involving his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The palace also announced that the first public celebration of King Charles’ birthday, known as Trooping the Colour, would take place on 17 June 2023, just six weeks after his coronation on 6 May.
King Charles’ real birthday is in November, but like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, he’s celebrating in June for a practical reason: the weather is better.
The tradition is believed to have started during the reign of King George II in 1748.
George II was born in October, but the annual ‘Trooping the Colour’ has become a celebration of the monarch and the armed forces. “Trooping the Colour” became a standout on the royal calendar during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. During those 70 years on the throne, television and later images brought the extravagance to life for millions around the world and showed the royal family at the time.
Over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will participate in the parade. While some royals will participate on horseback, others will take a carriage ride from Buckingham Palace to the Horse Guards, after which King Charles will greet everyone on parade.
The royals will then gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Royal Air Force and Red Arrows planes fly by.
