The Duchess of Cambridge will take on her first military role as a royal today as she hands out operational medals to members of the Irish Guards.
Alongside the Duke of Cambridge, who is Colonel of the Irish Guards, Kate will present medals to soldiers who have recently returned from serving in Afghanistan.
A royal aide said the Duchess was very pleased to be undertaking the role for a regiment 'so close to her husband's heart'.
The 1st Battalion Irish Guards returned in April from a six-month tour in Afghanistan where they were deployed to 22 different locations in Helmand Province, tasked with developing the Afghan Army.
Six soldiers returned home two weeks before the royal couple's wedding day and had ceremonial duties to perform in London on the day.
Before the medal parade, at Victoria Barracks in Windsor, William and Kate will meet privately with the families of three fallen servicemen and William will present them with posthumous Elizabeth Cross medals.
It is the first time that the couple have visited the regiment since William became Colonel of the Irish Guards in February.
He also wore the regiment's striking red uniform on his wedding day. William is the Irish Guards' first royal colonel and its Colonel-in-Chief is the Queen. The regiment was formed on April 1, 1900, by order of Queen Victoria is response to the courageous actions of Irish regiments in the Second Boer War.
The unit was heavily involved in the ceremonial duties but its servicemen are also fighting soldiers.
