Royal Family

Kate Middleton paid Irish soldiers’ $2,500 bar tab at St. Patrick’s Day parade she missed due to health issues

Kate Middleton wasn’t able to raise a pint of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day, but she made sure the Irish soldiers were well looked after in her absence.

The Princess of Wales, 42, who is currently recovering from a mysterious abdominal surgery, put down a $2,500 tab at the regimental bar in the UK town of Aldershot, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

Thanks to subsidized prices on the military base, the thirsty Irish Guards were treated to around 700 pints of Guinness after taking part in the annual parade.

Kate Middleton reportedly paid a sizable bar tab in lieu of attending the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Getty Images
She put down $2,500 at the regimental bar in the U.K. town of Aldershot, the Daily Mail reported. POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Middleton and her husband, Prince William, also marked the occasion by sharing a behind the scenes clip on Instagram Sunday.

“Happy St Patrick’s Day! Here’s a sneak peak of the @irishguards rehearsing for their annual parade. Sláinte to all those celebrating today! 🇮🇪,” the couple captioned the post.

The mother-of-three was named the honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards in December 2022 and attended the celebration last year with her husband, 41, who held the title before her.

The soldiers likely enjoyed about 700 pints of Guinness. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The Princess of Wales was named the honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards in December 2022. Getty Images

Middleton would usually hand out shamrock sprigs for the guards to pin on their uniforms, however Lady Ghika, wife of the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, Major General Sir Christopher Ghika, did so in her place over the weekend.

Kensington Palace has been busy preparing for the princess’ return to public life, which is expected to happen after Easter.

A top-secret plan is reportedly in the works to ensure the process goes smoothly following months of global fury over Middleton’s disappearance from the spotlight.

She skipped the 2024 celebrations while recovering from surgery. Getty Images
Middleton made her last public appearance on Christmas Day with her family, before undergoing the “planned” procedure the following month. UK Press via Getty Images

“The teams are working round the clock to devise the Princess of Wales’ back-to-work plan after weeks of immense pressure,” a source told the Mirror earlier this week.

“They all know that the world will be watching after weeks of heightened speculation and often outlandish commentary on social media.”


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It comes a few weeks after Middleton shared an “altered” photo of herself with her three kids in honor of UK Mother’s Day.

Multiple photo agencies, including Getty Images and the Associated Press, swiftly issued a “kill notice” over the doctored image, which led Middleton to apologize for any “confusion” caused.

Kensington Palace has descended into chaos after Middleton admitted to photoshopping a family photo. @princeandprincessofwales / Instagram

The Photoshop fail also led to wild conspiracy theories about the princess’ whereabouts and her condition after going under the knife for a “planned” surgery.

She made her last official appearance on Christmas Day with her family.

She has since been spotted visiting a farm shop with William, however some skeptics remained critical about whether it was really her.