.The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were at the Mons Barracks in Aldershot to visit the Irish Guards
- .Kate, who is eight months pregnant, was glamorous in a Catherine Walker coat and a Lock & Co hat
- .Watched the traditional St. Patrick's Day parade and met Irish wolfhound mascot, Domhnall
- .Unusually for an animal mascot, Domnhall has his own Twitter account - @officaligmascot
- .The Duchess also presented the battalion with the annual gift of a bunch of shamrocks
- .Afterwards, the couple attended a reception where Prince William sampled a pint of Guinness
After spending last week meeting artists in Margate and the cast of Downton Abbey in London, the Duchess of Cambridge was back on military duty today as she joined Prince William for the traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to the Irish Guards.
Kate, 33, is eight months pregnant but showed no signs of fatigue as she arrived looking every inch the yummy mummy in a brown coat by Catherine Walker, a hat by the Duchess of Cornwall's favourite milliner, Lock & Co and brown suede shoes by Emmy London.
Once inside the Guards' Mons Barracks in the Hampshire town of Aldershot, the Duchess, who was also wearing a gold Irish Guards Brooch that once belonged to the Queen Mother, sat smiling as she watched 200 men from the battalion put through their paces on the Parade Square.
Tradition: The Duchess of Cambridge presented the 1st Battalion, the Irish Guards, with their traditional St Patrick's Day shamrocks
Helping hand: One of the soldiers from the Irish Guards was on hand to help the Duchess of Cambridge fix on her bunch of shamrock
Big job: The Duchess has been conducting the ceremony since 2012 and follows in the Queen Mother and the Princess Royal's footsteps
One is amused: The Duchess burst into a fit of laughter during a group photo with the Irish Guards at the end of the ceremony
Are those for me? A clearly delighted Duchess of Cambridge was presented with a posy by a trio of little girls
The parade, which has been an Irish Guards tradition for more than 100 years, was followed by the shamrock presentation ceremony conducted for the third year in a row by the Duchess.
A custom begun by Queen Alexandra in 1901, the St Patrick's Day shamrocks were once presented by the Queen Mother, although in recent years, Princess Anne has also taken on the job.
Since 2012, however, the duty has fallen to the Duchess of Cambridge whose husband, the Duke of Cambridge, is the current royal colonel of the Irish Guards.
It hasn't always gone smoothly, however, most notably in 2013 when Kate, then five months pregnant with Prince George, got the heel of her shoe stuck in a grate and had to be helped out by Prince William.
While she managed to avoid that fate this year, the Duchess was almost upstaged by the Guards' official mascot, Irish wolfhound Domhnall, who was eye-catching in his bright red ceremonial uniform.
Quick pat: Irish wolfhound Domhnall made an appearance on the parade ground, dressed in his crimson ceremonial uniform
And one for you: A reluctant-looking Domhnall is presented with his personal bunch of shamrocks by the Duchess
All smiles: Both Duke and Duchess of Cambridge beamed as they took part in the shamrock presentation ceremony
Handing over: The Duchess was completing one of her final engagements before the birth of her second child next month
Looking good: The Duchess appeared every inch the yummy mummy to be in her Catherine Walker coat and Lock & Co hat
Having a chat: The Duke of Cambridge bends down to chat with a trio of little girls during the St. Patrick's Day ceremony
The battalion, which still draws the majority of its recruits from Northern Ireland, is famous for its wolfhound mascots, the first of which, a dog named Brian Boru, was presented in 1902.
Three-year-old Domhnall, who has his own Twitter account @officaligmascot and succeeded a hound named Conmael, joined the Irish Guards in 2012, a year after the Duke of Cambridge took on the role of the Guards' royal colonel.
After the ceremony the Duke, in a frock coat with ceremonial sword, and Duchess met soldiers and their families before sitting for group photographs with the officers' and sergeants' mess.
The Duchess, clearly on cheerful form, couldn't resist a joke during the group photos and was pictured trying to stifle a giggle - much to the amusement of the men around her.
Later, the royal couple joined soldiers for a reception where the Duke tucked into a pint of Guinness. The Duchess, unsurprisingly, chose to stick to a glass of water.
The parade this year was much smaller than in past years as the battalion currently has troops deployed around the world, although they were not forgotten - special packages of the fresh plant were flown out to those abroad, including to the Falkland Islands and Oman.
The Irish Guards have been a part of the British army since 1900, when they were founded by a royal decree from Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irishmen who died fighting during the Boer War.
Making an entrance: Prince William is the battalion's royal colonel and came dressed in the Irish Guards' ceremonial uniform
Taking the salute: During the parade, the men of the Irish Guards saluted their royal colonel, Prince William
Spectacular: Pinned to the lapels of Kate's coat was the Irish Guards Brooch, a Cartier piece that once belonged to the Queen Mother
In charge: William has been the Guards' royal colonel since 2011 and wore their uniform for his wedding the same year
Inspecting the troops: The Duchess of Cambridge walks through Parade Square at the Mons Barracks in Aldershot
Making the introductions: The Duke and Duchess spent several minutes chatting with the men from the battalion
Tasty: The Duke of Cambridge enjoyed a pint of Guinness at a reception after the ceremony. The Duchess stuck to water
Since then, the Guards, who, like all Guards regiments boast the Queen as their colonel-in-chief, have fought in all the major 20th century conflicts and, more recently, led the British advance into Basra during the Iraq War in 2003.
The Irish Guards were also among the last units to be deployed to Afghanistan and in 2013, were drafted in to play a mentoring role for local Afghan troops before being returned to the UK in time for the Queen's birthday parade.
Both William and Kate attended a service at St. Paul's Cathedral in which the bravery of the men who fought in Afghanistan were remembered by a mixture of royals, politicians and servicemen.
The ceremonies last week and today are among the final engagements for the Duchess of Cambridge ahead of the birth of her second child next month, although she will conduct further official visits later this week.
Surrounded: The Duchess was surrounded by soldiers, most of whom were wearing sprigs of shamrock on their berets
Enjoying the day: The Duchess was all smiles as she met the men and women of the Irish Guards in Aldershot
Line-up: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chat to Irish Guards veterans and their families during their visit to Aldershot
Atten-shun! The Irish Guards' band plays during the St. Patrick's Day parade which took place on the Mons Barracks' Parade Square
Big day: The parade takes place on St. Patrick's Day and has been part of Irish Guards tradition for more than 100 years
All together: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pose for a photo with the Irish Guards and their Irish wolfhound, Domhnall
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