Duchess Kate will likely become honorary Colonel of the Grenadier Guards

The Duchess of Cambridge is a lover of copykeening and cosplay. She loves to cosplay and copykeen Diana. She loves to copykeen the Duchess of Sussex. She loves to cosplay flags. But one of her undercover favorite things is cosplaying a button-covered military uniform. She loooooves that. So many buttons, tassels and shoulder pads! She simply adores it. So it’s a bit strange that during her nearly eleven years of marriage, she’s never been given a military patronage. She’s never been made an honorary anything with any division. Sure, she hands out shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day to the Irish Guards, but that’s not a formal patronage or anything. Well, now it looks like Kate will be taking over one of Prince Andrew’s now-abandoned military patronages. And Kate might even be handed an event from the Queen herself:

The Duchess of Cambridge is tipped to be the next Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, replacing Prince Andrew who was stripped of his military titles in January. Kate, 40, would be the first female colonel of the regiment in 80 years since the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, held the role in 1942. The royal colonel will typically be present at medal parades, events in the presence of the Queen and regimental gatherings, dinners and galas.

The revelation comes as the Duchess is lined up to stand in for the Queen at the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. A senior royal source confirmed: ‘It’s being seriously considered.’

Catherine taking the salute at one of the two remaining passing-out parades this year would be a fitting tribute for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and would have personal significance for the Duchess, as Prince William graduated from the celebrated military academy as an officer in 2006.

Kate has attended military functions with Prince William, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards, and she accompanies him to medal parades and regimental events for the Irish Guards, handing out traditional St Patrick’s Day shamrocks.She has also taken the salute at the Household Division’s Beating Retreat on Horse Guards Parade in London. Many members of the Royal Family have military experience, but it’s not required to be appointed colonel of a regiment.

The Sandhurst role would be a strong indication that Kate will soon be handed an honorary military role, such as colonel-in-chief of a regiment. The Queen is involved in selecting colonels.

[From The Daily Mail]

The Grenadier Guards position has been rumored for months, and reportedly the Grenadier Guards have wanted Kate for a while. I don’t know why, because even though she loves buttons and military cosplay, she loves being lazy even more. If and when the Guards get Kate as their patron, she’ll probably go years in between events for them. So good luck to them. As for the appearance or event at Sandhurst… I mean, it is cool that Kate is stepping in at an event which the Queen normally would have undertaken. But surely someone has got to ask why William – a Sandhurst graduate – wouldn’t be asked to do it?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar and Backgrid.

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54 Responses to “Duchess Kate will likely become honorary Colonel of the Grenadier Guards”

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  1. Bethany says:

    Oh, that big mouth. That’s all you see.

    • Trimdownmnrchyboring says:

      We can see last night’s dinner…

    • Missskitttin says:

      Maybe shes being medicated into looking ecstatic

    • Eurydice says:

      But, but, but, she’s like the Mona Lisa!

    • booboocita says:

      Every time I see that gaping jaw, all I can think of is the old Spanish proverb, “en boca cerrada no entra mosca.” (Flies don’t enter a closed mouth.) It means, “keep your secrets to avoid scandal,” more or less, but when I see Kate, I think it’s meant literally.

  2. Cel2495 says:

    Oh no, more manic smiles. Why on earth will they want her? She is a terrible patron.

    • Trimdownmnrchyboring says:

      It’s terrible. They must think it’s a joke. They’re giving titles and patronages to anybody, because we all know now that she’s just anybody who will not really make a difference. Very embarrassing for the grenadier guards

      • BothSidesNow says:

        More insulting than embarrassing, IMO. CopyKeen will start with her outfit that @ Kaiser has brilliantly chosen above and she will add more tassels and buttons to each attendance, though they will be few and far between. I wonder if there is a shortage of buttons on Salty Island of Bitterness? If so, we know who is hoarding them!!

        I feel bad for the Grenadier Guards and their children! They will need therapy with that mouth 😳

  3. Lili says:

    i suppose it hasnt occured to the RF to give some of these patornages to outside sourses like people who have been knighted someone more suited to the roles? clearly Charles didnt think through his slimmed down monarchy properly , they have an aging population of family members and not enough of them to go round,

    • equality says:

      Someone more suited to a role in the military, like say, someone who actually served in the military?

      • Maggie says:

        They have her figured out… they are banking on her showing up in her military cosplay looks with all of the buttons

    • C-Shell says:

      We were commenting in the same vein at the same time! Charles should really rethink the royal patronage scheme. There aren’t nearly enough warm bodies to assign, and the Lamebridges are a joke.

    • Em says:

      I see them putting the Cambridge children to work very early. From 16 at least

      • BothSidesNow says:

        Ot if Sofiesta has any say in it…..

        She’s dying to get her hands on some more patronages, so she will be set for life. Poor Edward, having been stabbed in the back by his brother. Now he knows how Harry feels.

  4. Solid gold dancer says:

    There’s no one else. Kate garners more interest than the other family members. The firm doesn’t have many options.

    • Blujfly says:

      @solidgolddancer, amen. That’s why the angst about these selections and the breathless coverage of who gets what is such a joke. Because of the media/British obsession with rank, any of the military patronages have to go to Charles, William, or Kate. The angst that isn’t being reported must be over whether William and Kate will even show up, and the Cambridges probably wanting to delay as long as possible lest they be expected to show up once a year for the same event.

      I strongly believe that come George in Wndsor plus Charlotte soon to follow, and the beginning of sports for both, we will see much much less of Kate, not more. That’s what she is protecting. She will never show up at the passing out event or give out shamrocks if her children have a game that day. Carole was at “every game” and Kate expects same.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Blujfly, but K doesn’t work all that much, so the chances are slim that an event would fall on “game” day. If it did? Well, that’s what she signed up for. She’s never going to be able to get out of working, so she might as well learn how to do it. How does she get away with not only being lazy, but so bad at working when she does show up?

    • Becks1 says:

      Exactly. I guess Edward is a very distant possibility, but I’m sure that would be considered a big step down for the regiment. There is no one else really. It’s going to be William and Kate for these kinds of things (maybe Charles or Camilla, but they’re pretty busy as it is) and I think its going to hurt the monarchy in some ways because it highlights how ceremonial it is. I mean everyone “knows” its ceremonial but sure, lets make a woman an honorary colonel because of who she married, even though she never served one day in uniform.

  5. Em says:

    Curious how they’re all scrambling to take over the Sussexes and Andrews patronages but no one wants to touch prince Philips 1000 patronages. Well it gives her an excuse to cosplay the military and something to do at least.

  6. C-Shell says:

    I guess this is the predictable result of a slimmed down monarchy. There are precious few “senior” royals on the ground to receive these appointments, but Khate???!!! I can’t fathom why any military organization would actively seek her as a patron. A less “qualified” human I can’t imagine. With all the honorary military roles that Harry and Andrew have relinquished, why hasn’t Bulliam been assigned any? Odd.

  7. Merricat says:

    If I were a royal patronage that wanted to operate without the fuss of royal interference, I would definitely ask for the Duchess of Donothing.

  8. PaulaH says:

    So the Royals love to wear Military uniforms and metals yet they had NOTHING to say to REAL veterans at the Invictus games..

    • Amy Bee says:

      The Royals don’t hold the military in high regard. They just use them to gain public support.

      • Carolind says:

        That is utter rubbish. The Queen, anyway, loves the military. She is the Commander in Chief of the British Armed Forces. I worked as a civilian in a military office and they adored the Queen. Some of them had been on Guard Duty at Balmoral and had then danced with the Quern at balls.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Carolind, then why hasn’t TQ said ANYTHING to the UK military service men & women who competed in the invictus games. Please don’t say that Harry conveyed her messages. This should not be hidden away–it should be stated loudly and proudly. So, please let’s try that again. How does TQ show her gratitude and respect?

  9. Cathy says:

    Appoint Kate to this position and she will turn it into being all about her… eg Philip’s funeral with her “glamour” photos. Then she turns up to this year’s Anzac Day wearing cream? That’s not how you show respect to those who died fighting a war a long way from home Kate. But then she is the person who wore a light flowery dress to a concentration camp. And DM is always carrying articles about how Kate signals what she is feeling by the clothes she wears.

    #zerorespect

    • Julaine says:

      White is also the color of mourning in many cultures. When the Queen Mother’s own mother died on the eve of an official trip to France her entire wardrobe was quickly remade in shades of white and it caused a sensation. In many Asian cultures white is also the traditional color of mourning. There is nothing inherently disrespectful in wearing cream for a Service honoring the dead. Personally, I wore white when my own mother died. She hated mourning black.

      • C says:

        I agree. There’s nothing super disrespectful in wearing this to the service. What was disrespectful was her wearing it to Meghan’s wedding.

      • Becks1 says:

        Yes, I remember that was what the Cambridge stans insisted when Kate wore white to a military remembrance event in France, that white was the color of mourning in France. and I think that’s appropriate, different cultures have different things that show respect etc.

        The “funny” thing about that dress Kate wore in France though was that it was the same one she wore to Meghan’s wedding, lol. And that was when all the stans started insisting it was “primrose yellow.”

        OMg, I didn’t realize that was the same dress she was wearing today, LOL. So this dress really does do it all! Baptisms, services honoring the military and soldiers, weddings.

    • CrazyCatLady says:

      She really is the most disrespectful person!!!

    • Lila says:

      The bright pink she wore to the 9/11 memorial! Ugh!

  10. Sofia says:

    If they really *need* a royal for it then Kate makes the most sense. Not because of her military commitments or something but because she’s probably the only one left who could take the role on.

  11. Blujfly says:

    Tbf to the Grenadier Guards, a few actively serving members responded to that breathless article saying they want Kate by saying they had never been asked and it was never discussed. The person quoted could have been any breathless Tory/aristocrat/Royal sycophant of the last 3 decades near the guards. The quote about them admiring her behavior and how dedicated she is to things could not have been more inaccurate, fake, and propaganda if it had come from Kate’s mouth directly.

  12. Roo says:

    @BLUJFLY, the poor Guards. The only person excited at this news is the designer of Kate’s epaulettes.

  13. JessD says:

    William should stand in for the Queen at Sandhurst since he actually graduated from it. They need to stop propping up Kate as more important than she is.

  14. Eurydice says:

    As long as it’s not a pedophile, sex-trafficking scumbag, does it really matter who is the honorary colonel? They’re just talking about a body who will show up to parades and dinners and medal ceremonies.

  15. Amy Bee says:

    The Sandhurst event has been rotated among royals for years even King Abdullah of Jordan has done it so it’s nothing special that Kate gets her turn now. The Grenadier thing seems weird to be me. I would think William would have wanted that role but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility if Kate gets it. The other women in the family have honorary military titles.

    • Original penguin says:

      William can’t have the Grenadiers as he already has the Irish guards to represent at trooping. She’s literally the last one standing until the kids grow up. Unless they give it to Edward

  16. Watson says:

    This is awful to ask but did William
    Cheat on her again?

    • Merricat says:

      I think “still” is more accurate than “again.”

      • Watson says:

        I feel badly that this is the thing that pops into my brain whenever she is awarded anything now.

        She leads a terrible life.

      • Jan90067 says:

        She’s got her 3 kids. I’m sure she’s glad he doesn’t come near her that way anymore in private.

  17. C says:

    Seconding the assertions that there isn’t anyone else basically.

    Re: her dress at the Anzac event today – I assume today she will be glowingly described in white even though when she wore what looks like this exact outfit at Meghan’s wedding everyone was falling over themselves to say it was yellow?

  18. Kyliegirl says:

    It’s interesting that the tabloids spent this weekend highlighting that Kate and Anne would replace Andrew and Harry as honorary colonels of the Grenadier Guards and Royals Marines respectively. After seeing what Harry accomplished last week, his support of the military, the high level military support for the IG, these patronages for royals who have never worn the uniform and in Kate’s instance, has really never done anything for the military except show up for parades seem very shallow. I know Harry was deeply hurt at the removal of his military titles, but he still has the ones that count. The ones he earned.

    • Debbie says:

      You make a good point that Harry’s Invictus Games success this past week may have led the royals to make this military move at this time, as if to say, “Look at us, we’re associated with the military too.” The timing is interesting.

  19. Rapunzel says:

    The comment about her accompanying Will to the shamrock event for the Irish guard: isn’t it vice versa?

    I thought Kate did the event solo because it was always a woman (previously TQ mum?). Then the year came she disgracefully ended the century long tradition by skipping so she wouldn’t be expected every year. Will filled in that year, iirc, and then started accompanying her to the event afterwards, probably to ensure she’d attend.

    Someone who knows better- am I recalling things correctly?

    • Jaded says:

      You’re right Rapunzel and the blow-back was pretty bad from both the Irish Guard and the public. She broke a 115 year old tradition in 2016 so she could be with her kids after having to do a few events in London – 3 events in 3 days, only for a few hours at a time, so not exhausting. What an insult to the Irish Guard. It appears William is accompanying her now so she won’t dare back out again.

    • Jan90067 says:

      At the time, they actually put out a statement that they didn’t want to “set expectations” that she’d be there every year!!!

  20. Brianne says:

    Maybe they don’t really want a royal patron at all but can’t come right out and say it so instead chose do nothing Kate which is close enough to not having one at all?

  21. Tessa says:

    Better to have given this to Anne, Sophie, or Edward. IMO.

  22. Gabby says:

    The key words here are: “…gatherings, dinners and galas”. KKKate’s here for the party.

  23. JFerber says:

    Only Marilyn Monroe could get away with the open-mouthed smiles, because she was the originator (“It looks sexy”) and she was Marilyn. This b—- has no idea she is totally inappropriate and always thinks she’s winning. It’s an upside down world.