From the music to the King's uniform! All the Irish nods at Trooping the Colour 2024
The 2024 Trooping the Colour ceremony took place on Saturday, June 15, and this year there was a distinctively Irish flare to proceedings.
The talk of the day was Colonel of the Irish Guards Kate Middleton, who made her triumphant return to royal life at the event for the first time in six months amid her ongoing cancer recovery.
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Kate's return, coupled with Prince Louis' usual cheeky antics, was enough to keep us engaged, but we couldn't help but notice how many Irish nods there were throughout the lengthy ceremony.
Kate's hat
Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour 2024. Pic: Samir Hussein/WireImage
For her first public appearance in six months, Kate looked ethereal in a white Jenny Packham design but turned to an Irish designer for her hat.
Phillip Treacy, who also has a long association with the royals, created the headpiece which features a contrasting design and a bold feather.
It is a style the Princess of Wales has worn on several occasions, including another hat by the designer for Trooping the Colour in 2022, and was perched daintily to one side of her face.
The Irish Guards
Irish Guards mascot Seamus the Irish Wolfhound during Trooping the Colour 2024. Pic: REX
This year, the Irish Guards took centre stage at Trooping the Colour and brought with them their mascot, Seamus the Irish Wolfhound, and some traditional Irish music. Lieutenant Harry Winterbottom had the honour of trooping the regiment's colour.
He first saluted the colour before collecting it from the regimental sergeant major as the King saluted. He then trooped the colour through the Irish Guards.
The music
The Band of the Grenadier Guards march along The Mall during the celebrations for King Charles III's official birthday. Pic: PA Images
Anyone listening to the BBC's coverage of Trooping the Colour couldn't fail to miss the commentators mentioning all the music that was being used during the ceremony.
When the procession began their march back to the Palace Slattery's Mounted Foot was played by the band with the presenters saying it was a 'real favourite of her majesty Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother.'
Charles' uniform
King Charles III at Trooping The Colour 2024. Pic: REX
King Charles was suited and booted in his Irish Guards uniform for the first time ever. The red uniform sported silver shamrocks around its gold collar.
His son, and heir to the throne, Prince William looked equally as dapper wearing his Irish Guards uniform.
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 15: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London, England. Trooping the Colour is a ceremonial parade celebrating the official birthday of the British Monarch. The event features over 1,400 soldiers and officers, accompanied by 200 horses. More than 400 musicians from ten different bands and Corps of Drums march and perform in perfect harmony. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Smiling Kate Middleton supported by her three children at Trooping the Colour