The 41-year-old Princess of Wales makes her first visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards since being named Colonel at the Salisbury Plain, Training Area in Wiltshire.
- Mar 9, 2023
AceShowbiz - Kate Middleton was praised as an "inspiring role model" as she took part in a military first aid exercise on Wednesday, March 8. The Duke of Cambridge made her first visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards since being named Colonel at the Salisbury Plain, Training Area in Wiltshire, and was happy to join the soldiers in an exercise, in which they simulated a situation where they came under fire during a foot patrol.
The exercise involved one member of the regiment having to be evacuated from the scene after suffering a gunshot wound to his lower left leg, and the 41-year-old royal then assisted Lance Corporal Jodie Newell by administering first aid and applying a tourniquet to the injured limb, before he was moved onto a stretcher and assessed for torso injuries.
As the Princess of Wales applied the tourniquet, which is used to stop bleeding, the princess apologised and said, "It's the first time I've done this." Jodie, 25, admitted she was "so nervous" during the exercise.
She said, "I was so nervous - I’m teaching the Princess of Wales med - it was an honour. We were just showing her what we medics do in the Army - she was actually really good, really eager to take part. She took it all in her stride, like she has done it before."
The soldier admitted it was "amazing" to have Catherine visit, particularly on International Women's Day. She added, "It's so nice to have a woman as our Colonel."
During her visit, the princess - who wore green combat uniform showing her rank of colonel - was taken on a tour of the training area by Major General Christopher Ghika, commander of the Army in London and the Household Division, and Lieutenant Colonel James Aldridge, commander of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards.
Catherine also met guardsmen who had been deployed in Africa, where they carried out security duties and trained park rangers on counter-poaching operations.
She asked whether much of the training was around "education and building better relationships in their communities," and was told their focus was to help the locals "take ownership of their training".
The royal also received a briefing on counter-explosive ordnance, the de-mining training the Ukrainian armed forces have been receiving from the Irish Guards, as well as viewing various types of weapons used by the regiment.
Lieutenant Colonel Aldridge said of the visit, "It is particularly fitting on International Women's Day that a few of our female soldiers met such an inspiring female role model. It is a real honour for all the guardsmen to meet their Royal Colonel in the field here on Salisbury Plain and demonstrate a few of our basic operational skills."
Catherine later admitted she had had a "fantastic" day.
Alongside a series of images from the snowy visit, an Instagram post on her and Prince William's account read, "A snowy morning with the @irishguards on Salisbury Plain! The work of the Irish Guards is as wide-ranging as it is exemplary, from training park rangers on counter-poaching in East Africa to de-mining training for Ukrainian Armed Forces. Fantastic to be with 'The Micks' today seeing their hard work (whatever the weather!)"
