Kate Middleton and Prince William Sip Guinness to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, Kate Middleton and Prince William attended the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, England, which sees 350 soldiers march on the Parade Square.

Part of the couple’s visit included the guardsman’s lunch, with the longest-serving guardsman in the Battalion proposing a toast to the royal pair.

Both William and Middleton took part, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge each enjoying a few sips of Guinness, posing for photographs as they did so.

Last year, Middleton was pregnant with son Prince Louis during the holiday, so she sipped on water as her husband tasted the beer.

On Sunday, the royal couple also met soldiers and their families, and sat for official Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess photographs. Middleton also shared a moment with an Irish Wolfhound named Domhnall, the regimental mascot of the Irish Guards, presenting the pup with a sprig of shamrock. The mom of three also presented shamrocks to Officers and Warrant Officers while William, who is the first royal colonel of the Irish Guards, saluted the soldiers.

For the event, Middleton got into the spirit of the holiday in a forest green Alexander McQueen coat and a matching hat, accessorizing with black suede heels, black gloves, green tourmaline and green amethyst Kiki McDonough earrings and a sleek braided updo. She also pinned on a sparkling shamrock brooch, which is a royal heirloom by Cartier that previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, according to The Telegraph. Middleton is clearly fond of the piece, as she wears it every St. Patrick’s Day.

The couple’s appearance comes after it was reported the William and Prince Harry have officially split their royal courts, a move that was rumored to be on the way for some time. The palace announced last week that the brothers have created two joint offices, with William and Middleton’s remaining in Kensington Palace and Harry and Meghan Markle‘s affairs heading to Buckingham Palace.

The split comes as Harry and Markle prepare to move from Kensington Palace to Frogmore House in Windsor and is a natural move as Harry and William’s royal duties will only diverge more as the years go by, as William will one day take the throne and Harry will participate in other endeavors.

“This long-planned move will ensure that permanent support arrangements for the Duke and Duchess’s work are in place as they start their family and move to their official residence at Frogmore Cottage,” a spokesperson said in a statement, via Town & Country.

Photo Credit: Getty / Max Mumby/Indigo