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Kate Middleton Raised a Glass This St. Patrick's Day — and the Context Makes It More Special

Days after opening up about cutting back on alcohol following her cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales honored a tradition she has kept for over a decade.

Kate Middleton has been very thoughtful about what she puts into her body since her cancer diagnosis and has cut back on alcohol as part of a broader shift in how she approaches her health. So when she raised a pint of Guinness with the Irish Guards on St. Patrick's Day, it was a surprise, but context, as it turns out, matters enormously.

On March 17, the Princess of Wales, 44, attended the Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day parade at Mons Barracks in her capacity as honorary Colonel of the regiment, a role she has held since 2022, when royal responsibilities were redistributed following King Charles' accession to the throne. After the parade, she joined the soldiers and their families at the Sergeant's Mess to celebrate, as she has done for years. In previous years, she has even quietly put money behind the bar for the holiday party. Footage shared on X captured the moment the Irish Guards broke into three cheers of "Hip, hip, hooray" in her honor, and Middleton, smiling broadly, raised her glass of Guinness and took a small sip alongside the group.

Her return to the Irish Guards' St. Patrick's Day parade is its own kind of milestone. She had been absent from the 2024 event while recovering from surgery, and her comeback in 2025 was warmly received by the regiment. Drummer Joseph Aldridge, the mascot handler for the Irish Guards, told PEOPLE at the time what it meant to have her back. "It was special. She's our Colonel, and obviously, we want her to come to our parade every year, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, she couldn't [last year]," he said. "It's nice to see her come out and get to meet everyone—especially Seamus," he added, referring to the regiment's beloved Irish Wolfhound mascot, Turlough Mor—nicknamed Seamus—who Middleton always makes a point of stopping to pet at the parade.

The toast also came only a week after the Princess of Wales had previously candidly confessed about the more personal changes she had made since her diagnosis. On March 12, Middleton and Prince William visited Southwark Brewing Company in London, where the couple tried their hand at pulling pints. It was there that she opened up about her relationship with alcohol. "Since my diagnosis, I haven't had much alcohol. It's something I have to be a lot more conscious of now," royal editor Matt Wilkinson of The Sun wrote on X, but in the same breath, she turned towards her husband and said, "But you like cider." 

What may find a worthy mention is that in March 2024, the Princess of Wales released a video confirming she was undergoing treatment for cancer, which had been detected following a planned abdominal surgery two months prior. She stepped back from public duties to focus on her recovery and, in September 2024, announced that she had completed chemotherapy. Then, in January 2025, she was in remission and described the feeling as ‘relief,’ gradually resuming a fuller schedule of royal engagements.