Kate Middleton stuns in £7.5K green outfit for St Patrick’s Day parade with Prince William

Kate Middleton, 37, celebrated St Patrick’s Day by attending a parade of the Irish Guards with Prince William, 36, today. William, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards, and the Duchess of Cambridge paid a visit to 1st Battalion at their base in Hounslow, west London. The Duchess looked stunning wearing a McQueen green coat, Gianvito Rossi black pumps and Kiki McDonough earrings. In a nod to the occasion, she wore the Battalion’s shamrock brooch pinned to her coat.

Kate wore her hair in a sleek bun underneath a dark green hat, allowing her huge earrings to take centre stage.

These are the green tourmaline and green amethyst oval drop earrings, £3,500, by Kiki McDonough. They were made for Kate to celebrate the birth of Princess Charlotte.

Her Gianvito Rossi black suede Piper pumps, £510, are clearly favourites, with Kate wearing them earlier in the week.

She kept her hands warm in the chilly March weather in a pair of plain black gloves.

As this was a daytime event, Kate kept her makeup simple, opting for a sweep of blusher and heavy mascara.

Her coat, by her wedding dress designer Alexander McQueen, was close fitting at the top, flaring out in a flattering A line at the hem.

It is similar to green coats the Duchess has worn on St Patrick’s Day in years gone by. While it does not appear to be available to buy online now, similar coats by the designer sell for £3,500.

As is tradition, the royals were reunited with their furry friend Domhnall, an Irish wolfhound and mascot they have met several times previously.

Domhnall, which is Gaelic for “world leader”, led 350 soldiers as they marched on the Parade Square at Cavalry Barracks on Sunday morning.

Kate will presented the shamrock to officers and warrant officers, before a march past where William will took the salute.

Since 1901, when the regiment was first founded by order of Queen Victoria, the regiment’s parade has traditionally been presided over by a woman.

The pair will later be toasted by the longest-serving Guardsman at the Guardsman’s Lunch, and the Duchess thanked for presenting the shamrock.

At past parades the Duke has sipped on a pint of Guinness in a nod to the tradition of the day.

Last year Kate, who was heavily pregnant with the couple’s third child, opted for a sparkling water instead.

How did Kate Middleton become a royal?

Early life

Kate Middleton, or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was born on 9 January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, England.

She was born to Michael and Carole Middleton, a former flight dispatcher and air hostess. The couple founded a party supplies company, Party Pieces, in 1987 – now estimated to be worth £30 million.

Kate has a younger sister Pippa Matthews, 34, and a younger brother James Middleton, 31.

Education

Kate and her family moved to Amman, Jordan, in 1984, where the future Duchess was educated at an English-speaking nursery school.

After moving back to Berkshire the family sent Kate to private school, St Andrews School. She went on to briefly study at Downe House before moving onto Marlborough College where she boarded.

For university the young Kate attended the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Here she was awarded an undergraduate MA (2:1 Hons) in history of art.

Relationship with Prince William

Kate met Prince William when they were both studying at St Andrews, and both living in St Salvator’s Hall. Famously, William reportedly took a fancy to Kate after she wore a see-through dress during a fashion show.

In 2003 the couple began dating and lived together during their second year of university.

The couple split in April 2007, however, in October they were back together.

Wedding

Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring in October 2010. The couple were holidaying in Kenya at the time.

On 29 April 2011 they married at Westminster Abbey with a whopping 26 million watching the event live.

Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress worth a reported £250,000 on the big day.

Kate assumed the title “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge” and also become the Duchess of Cambridge on the day.