Kate Middleton dons camouflage as she visits Irish Guards for the first time since becoming Colonel

The Princess of Wales showed her royalist nature when she visited the Irish Guards for the first time since she became an honorary colonel today.

Kate Middleton, 41, was almost unrecognizable as she dressed in camouflage gear for the engagement in the snowy Salisbury Plain training area this morning.

There, the royal mother of three took part in a training exercise where she learned how to perform battlefield casualty drills to provide care for wounded soldiers.

She could be seen crouching in the snow as she took part in the drill, keeping warm in a khaki beanie and heavy polo shirt under her camouflage jacket.

Today’s appearance marks the first time Kate has visited the Irish Guards in her new role as an honorary colonel – she was promoted to her first post in the army in December, taking over from Prince William.

It comes as Kate’s brother-in-law, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, revealed that they christened their niece “Princess Lilibet Diana” in a small ceremony at their home in California.

Kate Middleton, 41, was almost unrecognizable when she dressed in camouflage gear for the engagement at the snowy Salisbury Plain training ground this morning.

The princess swept her brunette locks into a braid for today’s occasion and kept herself warm by wearing a hat.

Meanwhile, she kept her makeup neutral, with dark eyeliner on the lid and a touch of nude lipstick.

He opted for his £155 Berghaus Supalite hiking boots for the engagement, which he has worn on other occasions in recent years.

Kate has long accompanied her husband to the St. Patrick’s Day parades of the Irish Guards, handing out sprigs of shamrock, but now she will be the regiment’s honorary colonel in her own right.

During the visit, Kate met with Guardsmen from Number One and Number Two Companies, who have recently been deployed on security force support duties in East Africa, training and assisting foreign forces.

Following this, the Princess joined the members of Number Three Company to observe a medical training and casualty exercise.

This included a report on anti-explosive ordnance, the mine clearance training the Irish Guards are currently conducting for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The visit concluded with the princess seeing a demonstration of the weapons systems used by the Irish Guards.

Buckingham Palace announced Kate’s new role in December, ahead of this year’s Trooping the Color, which has marked the British sovereign’s official birthday for more than 250 years.

The King’s Birthday Parade, Charles’ first, will take place at a slightly later date on June 17. The King’s actual birthday is November 14.

The royal mother of three took part in a training exercise where she learned how to perform battlefield casualty drills to provide care for wounded soldiers.

The Princess has been learning how to treat battlefield casualties during a training exercise with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards on Salisbury Plain on her first visit to the regiment since becoming an honorary Colonel.

Today’s appearance marks the first time Kate has visited the Irish Guards in her new role as Colonel – she was promoted to her first post in the Army in December, taking over from Prince William.

The princess also spoke with guards from Number One and Number Two Companies, who have recently been deployed on security force assistance duties in East Africa, training and assisting foreign forces.

You will see the Domestic Division in Parade of Guards on Horseback, with the assistance of the monarch and the salute. There are seven regiments of the higher military unit, which is responsible for fulfilling state public and ceremonial duties.

The reigning monarch normally has the appointment of colonel-in-chief of the regiments, but each also has a colonel who is usually a member of the Royal Family or a senior officer.

The Irish Guards have been part of the British Army since 1900, when they were founded by royal decree from Queen Victoria to commemorate the Irish who died fighting during the Boer War.

Since then the Guards, who, like all Guards regiments, had the late Queen as their colonel-in-chief, have fought in every major conflict of the 20th century and most recently led the British advance into Basra during the War from Iraq in 2003. .

The Irish Guards were also among the last units to deploy to Afghanistan and in 2013 were recruited to serve in a mentoring role for local Afghan troops before being returned to the UK in time for the Queen’s birthday parade.

Kate’s engagement today came as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that they had arranged a religious ceremony to christen their daughter Lilibet last Friday, which was conducted by the Bishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor.

The couple have had the right to use ‘Princess’ for Lilibet since King Charles’ accession to the throne last September, and now they have decided to do so.

It has been claimed that King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate were invited to the christening but did not attend, although Buckingham Palace has not confirmed this.

A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said today: “I can confirm that Princess Lilibet Diana was christened on Friday, March 3 by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, the Rev. John Taylor.”

It is the first time that Lili has been publicly referred to as a princess. It is also understood that HRH will be ‘held on hold’, which describes a state of temporary disuse.

Buckingham Palace currently refers to Lilibet as ‘Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor’.

The title is in line with the precedent created by letters patent issued by George V in 1917 conferring Prince or Princess on the Sovereign’s male grandchildren.

It is understood that 21-month-old Lili’s princess title and Archie’s prince title will be used in formal settings, but not in the couple’s everyday conversational usage.

Royal journalist Omid Scobie, close to the Sussexes, reported that “King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate were invited but did not attend.” It is not known if other members of the royal family were present.

People magazine reported that there were between 20 and 30 guests at the event, including Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, and Lilibet’s godfather, Tyler Perry.

The filmmaker had been seen visiting Harry and Meghan’s home in Montecito last Friday and at a Los Angeles airport where he boarded his private jet.