Britain's Kate goes solo for Saint Patrick's parade

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, got to grips with an Irish wolfhound on Saturday as she carried out her first solo military engagement at a Saint Patrick's Day Parade. Prince William's wife visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards infantry at their barracks in Aldershot, southwest of London, to present sprigs of shamrock to the 40 officers and warrant officers. Kate also presented Ireland's three-leafed floral emblem to the regimental mascot Conmeal, a six-year-old Irish wolfhound. "People saw him shake his collar, probably as a thank you," said drummer Oliver Vaughey, 22. "He has been our mascot for four years and always marches in front of the regiment." Kate, 30, has recently accompanied Queen Elizabeth II on visits while her husband Prince William, second in line to the thone, is serving in the Falkland Islands. But this was the first of countless solo military engagements that the former Kate Middleton will undertake as a royal following her wedding in April last year. The Duke of Cambridge, a search and rescue helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force, is reaching the end of his routine, six-week tour of duty on the archipelago. The soldiers' scarlet tunics would have seemed very familiar to the duchess: William was appointed colonel of the Irish Guards in February 2011 and wore that uniform for their wedding. For the visit to the Mons Barracks, Kate wore a green dress coat and a gold shamrock brooch that has been handed down through the royal family. Inside the mess, guardsmen cheered and toasted her with cans of lager and glasses of sherry. One soldier said: "Your royal highness -- on behalf of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards we welcome you and wish you a happy Saint Patrick's Day. "We also thank you for the shamrocks that you have presented to us." Last year, the battalion celebrated the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland while serving in Afghanistan. The tradition of giving a shamrock to the soldiers dates back to queen Alexandra, wife of king Edward VII, and the regiment's first Saint Patrick's Day in 1901. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland as well as cities with large Irish populations such as Liverpool, London and Manchester. BBC