Kate reveals desire for baby boy

The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed she would like her baby to be a boy as she attended a St Patrick's Day parade at a military barracks.

Kate, who is five months pregnant, said the Duke, who attended the event with her, would prefer a girl.

The Duchess showed patriotic spirit wearing the same green Emilia Wickstead dress coat and shamrock brooch she wore to the event at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire last year.

The wet weather held off as the couple watched around 200 soldiers from the 1st Battalion Irish Guards parade through the puddle-strewn square, bringing a splash of colour to the occasion in their full ceremonial uniform of scarlet tunics and bearskins.

Before the parade she repeated her role of presenting traditional sprigs of shamrock to the officers and guardsmen, including one to her husband.

William, attending as Colonel of the Regiment, wore the ceremonial dress of the Irish Guards and after just being made a Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, wore the insignia on his shoulder for the first time.

The Duchess suffered an embarrassing mishap when the heel of one of her shoes got stuck in a drain, and had to lean on William while she pulled it out with her hand. Afterwards, the royal couple chatted to soldiers in the Guardsmen's cookhouse.

Guardsman Lee Wheeler, 29, said: "I was talking to her about the baby, of course. I asked her 'do you know if it's a girl or boy', and she said 'not yet'. She said 'I'd like to have a boy and William would like a girl'. That's always the way. I asked her if she had any names yet and she said no. I said I suppose you've got to stick to traditional names."

Guardsman Jason Perry, 33, also spoke to Kate about her pregnancy. "I wished her congratulations and said I hoped everything is fine. She said 'yes it is'. I asked her if she was excited to be having her first child. She said 'very'."

William sipped on a glass of sherry inside the dining hall while the Duchess went without a drink. The pair were loudly cheered by the soldiers as they entered the room which gave them welcome shelter from the heavy rain.