Did Kate Middleton’s Hairstyle at St. Patrick’s Day Parade Feature a Hidden Message?

Kate Middleton is known to send messages through her style, and she may have weaved a subtle symbol into her hair for her latest engagement.

The Princess of Wales, 43, returned to the Irish Guards’ annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17, attending the event for the first time in two years after opting out due to her health concerns in 2024. Kate is the ceremonial Colonel of the regiment and continued tradition by sporting green for the special occasion, bundling up in a deep green Alexander McQueen coat dress with scarf and gloves.

She topped the look with a floral felt beret by Awon Golding for Lock & Co. and swept her tresses into a voluminous chignon. Upon closer inspection, the updo may have been inspired by the Triquetra, or Irish Trinity Knot. The ancient symbol is closely associated with Celtic culture, where it is affiliated with the ideas of eternity or the Holy Trinity, and is a popular sign across Ireland.

The style may have been a tribute to the heritage of the Irish Guards, which is marking its 125th anniversary this year. Queen Victoria created the unit in 1900 after an adviser suggested that the Irish regiments should wear shamrocks on their headdress every St. Patrick’s Day as a nod to the crown’s appreciation for their gallantry during the Boer War, the British Army said. The tradition of distributing shamrocks to the soldiers on St. Patrick’s Day has continued ever since, and Princess Kate did the honors at the parade on Monday.

The Princess of Wales had a royal first at the procession at the Wellington Barracks in London, attending the event alone for the first time in her post as honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards. King Charles named his daughter-in-law to the job in 2022 in a reshuffling of royal roles following his accession, and Princess Kate took over the post from her husband, Prince William, who had been the Irish Guards’ Colonel since 2011. William even wore the regiment’s uniform when he married Kate that April, and she went on to regularly attend the parade with him.

The princess had to miss the Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day march last year while recovering from an abdominal surgery that January, and she shared a few days after the 2024 event that she was receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. Kate stepped back to focus on her health for the rest of the year, sharing in September that she completed chemotherapy and announcing on Jan. 14 that she is in remission.

Kate kicked off the year with several solo engagements and has been busy since, surprising palace insiders with her renewed approach to royal duty.

“She is the MVP of the royal family, and no one knew when she was going to come back,” royal historian Amanda Foreman tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story.

Adds royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward, “It takes time to feel comfortable and do things your way without always worrying.”

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Kate looked thrilled to spend St. Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards on Monday, and occasions like these are now being especially cherished, says royal author Robert Hardman.

“There is definitely a feeling of resetting the dial — of being back,” he tells PEOPLE.

Adds Ailsa Anderson, former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth: “Fast-forward, and what a difference a year makes. She’s even more beloved in the nation’s hearts than she was.”