Royal aids scrambled this morning to fix a social media post that incorrectly stated Prince William and Princess Kate’s new royal ranks.
As March 1 marks St David’s Day, it is a national festival that has been a day of celebration in Wales since the 12th century, recognising Saint David – and an important event in the royal calendar. Last year, the Prince and Princess of Wales marked the special occasion by visiting the Welsh Guard for the St David’s Day Parade.
From Prince William and Kate’s public X account, palace insiders initially posted that the couple were “proud to be Patrons of both the Welsh Guards and the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.”
However, quickly realising these are not the official ranks of the Prince and Princess of Wales the post was swiftly changed.
Another post quickly followed, stating the correct titles for William and Kate. The post read: “Proud to be Colonel and Colonel-in-Chief of the Welsh Guards and 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. Happy St David’s Day!”
A Welsh translation followed underneath: “Yn falch o fod yn Gyrnol ac yn Brif Gyrnol y Gwarchodlu Cymreig a Gwarchodlu Dragŵn 1af Y Frenhines. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!”
This has sparked a hilarious response from royal fans who quickly spotted the gaffe.
X user, @sarah_delore wrote: “Third times the charm.” She also accompanied the post with a winking emoji.
Users wished others a “Very Happy St David’s Day” with pictures of the Welsh flag and hearts.
The Colonels of the Welsh and Irish Guards hold an honorary position within the respective regiments of the British Army.
While the position is primarily ceremonial, the Colonels play an important role in maintaining traditions and representing the regiment at various events – they often take part in ceremonial events such as Trooping the Colour, as seen last year.
The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment that was formed in 1915. It is one of the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army.
In 2023, Prince William delivered a speech at the St David’s Day Parade in which he said he was “honoured and delighted” to be the regiment’s new Colonel. The parade ended with a march past William, who took the royal salute as his wife proudly looked on.
