In March 2016, the Duchess of Cambridge had been married for nearly five years. One of the very few tasks Kate had been given upon her marriage to Prince William was a fun annual tradition, the “passing out shamrocks to the Irish Guards on St. Patrick’s Day” event. That’s all it is. For 115 years, a female royal would turn up at the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, she would wear green and a shamrock brooch and she would spend ten minutes passing out shamrocks and then she would be given a Guinness to sip at what amounted to a lunch party. And in March 2016, Kate refused to do it. Royal reporters claimed that Kate had decided not to do the event that year because she didn’t want people to expect her to show up every year. The backlash against Kate was pretty big, and she’s attended all of the St. Patrick’s Day shamrock events since then. But not this year! And it’s not even about coronavirus. At least, I don’t think so?
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will not mark St Patrick’s Day publicly with a military engagement, as they have done in previous years. Prince William and Kate traditionally attend a parade on the Sunday before 17 March and hand out shamrocks to army personnel, but HELLO! understands that the 1st Battalion Irish Guards are currently deployed in Iraq and South Sudan, so there was no plan to actually hold the event this year. William is Colonel of the Irish Guards, and the parade is an opportunity for all Irish Guards, serving, retired, or aspirational, to come together in celebration and honour their regimental and cultural traditions.
Usually, William and Kate take part in proceedings and watch 350 soldiers participate in the parade – led by their mascot, the Irish Wolfhound Domhnall, and the Band of the Irish Guards play traditional Irish airs – with William taking the salute. Following this, Kate then hands out shamrocks to officers and warrant officers. This is a tradition that was started back in 1901 by Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII. After the parade, which concludes with a march-past where the Duke took the salute, William and Kate then go on to enjoy a lunch with the officers and typically toast the day with some Guinness.
So… wait, William and Kate aren’t doing the event because the 1st Battalion is overseas right now, but is the parade still happening? “HELLO! understands that the 1st Battalion Irish Guards are currently deployed in Iraq and South Sudan, so there was no plan to actually hold the event this year.” Meaning the parade isn’t planned or the Cambridges’ attendance isn’t being planned? Either way, no Kate in yet another $5000 green, bespoke coat. Sad. And this is why royal ladies should attend this very simple event: because you never know when these soldiers will be serving overseas, or when there will be a pandemic or whatever. That’s why you show up whenever you can to show your appreciation for them.
Honestly though, even if the Irish Guards weren’t overseas right now, I bet the parade would have been cancelled anyway because of the coronavirus. I think all of the American St. Patrick’s Day parades have been cancelled, correct? Boston was the first city to cancel theirs, and all of the major cities followed suit, from Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Cincinnati, New York, and on and on.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WENN and Avalon Red.
I have to say I think it’s irresponsible for any royal to do a big event right now, they need to self isolate and be an example to citizens to do it.
So I think this is good right now, if it happens again then not great but this year it’s the moral and responsible thing to do.
I would be surprised if they held it anyway with the health concerns, but I don’t think the UK is shutting that much down, are they?
Anyway, Kate is prob disappointed she cant wear her new expensive green coat.
Oh dear, pour one out for the 200th new green coat that will now go unworn.
LOL!
I have a feeling that the corona virus is the best thing to happen to W&K–they get to stay home and not work and nobody will question it!
Hopefully just a temporary thing though. But yes it came at the right moment if they were only working because of H and M leaving
I don’t have much faith in W&K, so in other words, I absolutely think they have only been working as much as they have lately because of H&M leaving.
On another note, I am glad this is cancelled. I hope everyone in the RF postpones all events right now.
While it makes perfect sense to not proceed with any events, you can tell how few were actually scheduled for william and Kate because we have heard nothing in terms of specific events being cancelled. Things for Charles and the Queen have been specifically cancelled with the actual event being mentioned. But there has been silence from KP.
Agreed but I think at this time people will realize just how irrelevant the monarchy is.
I remember when she refused to do the event! Sources literally said she was skipping so that everyone would get the message she wouldn’t be doing it every year. It was so unprofessional, bizarre, and petulant. That was when I started to really see the laziness and entitlement of W&K.
Everything about Cain & Unable is bizarre.
Didn’t she also get caught getting her hair done that very day instead? Or am I misremembering?
The thing about that year was that she cancelled a day or 2 before but then 2 days AFTER the parade was at a charity shop event with a fresh dye job that she did NOT have previously. So she skipped the Irish Guards event to get a new dye job.
She couldn’t very well get her hair done and give shamrocks the very same day now could she? That’s asking way too much of her.
Imagine being so lazy and entitled that you don’t want to go to an event that involves petting a giant, adorable dog. “You people better not get used to my glorious presence at this ANNUAL event.”
She bailed on the event ‘to spend time with her kids’. Usually that excuse would get her praise from people saying ‘well she is a doting mother’. But the year she cancelled she got a load of criticism because people couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t tear herself away from her precious kids for a few hours. It was such a lame excuse, and was the first time I realised she was full of sh*t. Then she got caught on twitter getting her hair done.
Lazy Cambridge finds coronavirus as an excuse not to work for another 5 months. They are pathetic. After this virus then comes summer where keens will say they are hands-on parents so they have to take a vacation for three more months.
Sorry so should they work, not social distance meet tons of people and risk all those people’s health? That is insane!
I don’t get why people don’t understand this EVERYONE needs to self isolate. This is serious.
No, I’m saying that they make an excuse after the virus thing over, they will come up with an excuse not to work. By every expert’s prediction, this thing will continue up to May or June end. After that comes summer where lazy Cambridge will take a family vacation because they are so hands-on parents and they won’t work up to their kid’s holiday which means up to sept which means lazy Cambridge won’t work for six months from march half to sept.
Kate was at Saintsbury this weekend with the kids so she isn’t taking the no crowd issue that seriously.
We shall see if they do that. It’s totally hypothetical at this point. I think they’ll get back to work asap. Yeah they seemed lazy in the past but things have changed harry is gone their kids are older and Charles shouldn’t let them appear lazy
They need to protect themselves so they will get the Private Jet and slip off to another expensive resort.
Yes I think the virus is going to work against them, people will lose their loved ones but the rich hsve the privilidge of isolating themselves at the drop of a hat with no concern for anyone else, royals can afford the doctor to come visit them, their bills don’t need to be paid our taxes will cover that, nurses and doctors can not, service people can not. There are going to be thousands of elderly that die over this but the Queen won’t be one of them.
Remember how less than two weeks ago William was in an Irish pub yucking it up about Covid-19? And now all the pubs are closing in Ireland and the government is instituting stricter measures to control the spread of a serious public health issue? Ah, memories.
Yup
The video was viral and people are calling him a dumbass and other names. The clownery is hitting hard on him LOL
No I’m saying that they make an excuse after the virus thing over, they will come up with an excuse not to work. By every experts prediction, this thing will continue up to may or june end. After that comes summer where lazy cambridges will take family vacation because they are so hands on parents and they wont work upto their kids holiday which means upto sept which means lazy cmbridges wont work for six months from march half to sept .
But what about Domhnall the Irish wolfhound? THE most important part of the event? Where are the pictures of the magnificent Domhnall? They’re not doing it because Domhnall upstages them every year. More Domhnall!
I agree, Prince Petty and his Stepford Duchess are scared of being upstaged by a dog. That is how boring and bland they are. And Domnhall is the best thing about that parade – he truly is magnificent.
I don’t want to slam them over this. PW should not have made that comment, it is absolutely biting him in the butt now. But this is the right move.
I thought according to Wills that this virus was a joke and no big deal? I guess he should have kept his mouth shut.
It was probably going to be canceled anyway. Pretty much all large events are canceled at this point.
Kate tries to assert herself once and gets given a smackdown by all, and has been toeing the line since.
What a life but unfortunately for her, their image and pr is all they have to pave the way to the throne. Lose that and they are sitting ducks. So they follow the rules and play the game and sacrifice all, even family.
That horrid ring sliding all over her finger. Get it properly fitted or gain weight.
Actually I bet it would be on, the uk aren’t cancelling really nothing. Concerts and parades are still going on. What I find interesting is that neither of the Cambridge’s have anything announced for the future. The queen and the wales are still going to be out and about doing things so it’s not like they’ve been told not to and yet two healthy 30 somethings aren’t doing anything. And seeing as Kate was spotted with the kids at the weekend out and about they’re obviously not self isolating. It’ll be interesting to see how long it goes before something’s announced.
If they go ahead with the planned self isolation for Britons over 70 for four months then Charles, Camilla and the Queen have to stay in.
I live in Washington DC (less than a mile from the Capitol) and that blows my mind. Everything is being closed and cancelled here. I work in national event sales, and am bracing for my layoff.
The Scottish government has banned gatherings of over 500 people and I think Westminster has followed suit; the PM also said at his press conference today that people should be staying home as much as possible, including working from home if they can. So I think this event would’ve been cancelled at some point in the next day or two even if it had been scheduled.
Ireland and the US have cancelled virtually all major St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, so it wouldn’t make sense for this to proceed either. It would obviously be nice if they made some gesture in acknowledgement of a day that is important to Irish owned and operated businesses across the globe, but the Cambridge’s aren’t known for going out of their way or doing above the very bare minimum for anyone.
I’m not going to give them flack for not being in public right now. I will, however, judge them by their work ethic once this is all over.
Imagine the Guards are gutted about missing the opportunity to engage with W&K. I guess they’ll have to find the courage to go on somehow. As an aside it’s ridiculous that the firm is not self isolating. They seem to be fine with not working but still want to be out if they feel like it. Completely bonkers.
That picture of her holding the Guinness is the spot of hilarity I needed on this dismal day.
Are they cancelling? The UK is doing the baffling plan by actually wanted people to get covid-19 and developing a herd immunity. They’re not recommending social distancing.
Are they canceling the parade? The UK is doing their baffling plan. They want people to get it and develop a herd immunity. So they aren’t recommending social distancing.
If KP announced the Cambridges were backing out because of concerns about the cornavirus it would say in the statement. It doesn’t ; which makes you wonder what’s going on. And that pap stroll with the kids was stupid given George and Charlotte’s school has four kids that had to be isolated due to a cornavirus scare. And there has been no word that those kids are ok.
When are we supposed to find out the results of the struggle survey? Is that postponed now too? Is Cath sighing in relief that she doesn’t have to pretend to be working on something bigly?
Good grief, she’s not aging well. The header pic in which she’s seated next to Willileaks makes her look about 55. Any worse and she’s going to start looking like she’s his auntie.
I said it the other day, they are going to milk this for as long as they can.
Having an Irish dad who refused to take citizenship he was entitled to because it meant swearing an allegiance to the Queen, I find it the whole Irish guards thing very strange.
There they are with their fake autistic-like smiles. People like that cannot possibly condemn Meghan, they don’t have the mental capacity rollseyes* Kate and William we see right through you!
Intresting! What about his tusk gala and other events?? @CHARFROMDAROCK I’ll even bet that they’ll continue to use this as an excuse even after its contained!
If they’re already cancelling distant events I hope lizzy has the sense to cancel the trooping the colour.
It is pricelessly funny that despite the Windsor wealth no jeweler can make Diana’s ring fit Kate’s finger: once again it lists to the side. Much like cinderella’s shoe could not accomodate either ugly sister. Or is the original owner displeased with who wears her ring and hauntingly twists it aside? Either way, that hand should not be wearing that ring – and it shows.