Kate Middleton’s absence from the public eye caused quite a brouhaha for the past couple of months, ahead of Friday’s announcement that she’s been diagnosed with cancer. Her statement followed what the palace called a “planned abdominal surgery,” followed by weeks of speculation about her whereabouts and well-being. So while it was no surprise that she didn’t attend the Irish Guard’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration amidst all this, she did make her presence known by putting up $2,500 for her soldiers at a local bar.
As part of her royal duties, Kate Middleton serves as the Colonel of the Irish Guards, and in 2023 she and Prince William were photographed drinking pints of Guinness at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year, however, the festivities went on without her, but she still found a way to honor her troops. Following the parade, the Daily Mail reports that members of the Irish Guards were reportedly thrilled to learn that she’d put up the British equivalent of about $2,500 at a regimental bar in Aldershot for the celebrations to continue.
Continue they did, as the tabloid estimates that amount could buy at least 700 pints of Guinness, so hopefully a good time was had by all.
Until her March 22 video announcing her cancer diagnosis, Kate Middleton hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day, which was unusual for one of the most beloved members of the Royal Family and caused quite a bit of concern, despite the palace saying she wasn’t expected back until April.
The public’s concern for the Princess of Wales was likely compounded by the announcement of King Charles III’s hospitalization and his own cancer diagnosis. A heavily Photoshopped image of Kate and her three children posted on Mother’s Day in the U.K. raised suspicions even further, and even reports that she’d made her first public appearance post-surgery were met with skepticism.
With everything the Royal Family has been dealing with health-wise over the past few months, and having to explain the cancer to Prince William and Kate Middleton's three children, all of the rumors and speculation couldn’t have made it any easier. I'm sure her generous gift to the Irish Guards didn’t go unappreciated by the soldiers, but it likely means even more now to know that she was thinking of them and ensuring the libations were flowing during their recent celebration.
While we wait for more news regarding the Princess of Wales as she undergoes a "course of preventative chemotherapy" that was recommended by her medical team, you can see a fictionalized version of the early days of her relationship with Prince William — including the sheer dress that captured the prince’s attention — as Season 6 of The Crown tackled the later years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. That series is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
