The significance of Kate Middleton’s Cartier shamrock brooch

By Joshua Hendren

Princess Catherine took the salute as the Colonel of the Irish Guards for the first time at this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Aldershot, England.

Proving that the ever-elegant royal has more than settled into her new capacity as Princess of Wales, Kate stunned in a bespoke Catherine Walker coatdress with matching Gianvito Rossi pumps and a Jane Taylor London hat, topped off with a gold Cartier shamrock brooch that has a lengthy royal history.

The brooch is spun in the shape of a shamrock, which is the symbol of Ireland, and set with tiny circular emerald at the centre, joining the three golden leaves.

What is so unique about the piece is that it reportedly isn’t owned by someone in the royal family. Rather, the brooch belongs to the Irish Guards and is loaned out to royal ladies who are associated with the regiment.

Despite being worn by numerous royal figures throughout history, the origin of the gold shamrock remains somewhat unclear. Some reports cite Queen Alexandra as the first owner of the brooch, but according to Up the Micks! An Illustrated History of the Irish Guards, a book written by James Wilson, which features a foreword by the Duke of Cambridge, the piece was designed by Cartier and then gifted to Princess Mary, Princess Royal, by the regiment in 1961. 

When Princess Mary died, the brooch was purchased by the regiment at an auction of her personal jewellery, Wilson reveals. It was then worn by the Queen Mother.

Following the Queen Mother’s death in 2002, Princess Anne was seen wearing the pin at events related to the Irish Guard, such as the 2009 St Patrick’s Day Parade.

As for the Princess of Wales, she was first photographed wearing the shamrock brooch at the Victoria Barracks in June of 2011, during a presentation of service medals. 

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