Catherine, The Princess of Wales, – patron of The Forward Trust, made a visit to the HMP High Down prison in Surrey this morning to see how the charity supports inmates to help manage addiction and break the inter-generational trauma caused by dependency. The visit was organized by the Forward trust to mark the “Addiction Awareness week” that will run from 28th October to 4th November.
This was Catherine’s fourth visit to any prison but first to a men prison. She visited the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust (RAPt) in September 2015 and then Surrey in 2016 Privately and then in January 2020 she visited HM Prison Send in Surrey to launch the ‘5 Big Question’ survey. Catherine has been the patron of Forward trust since June 2021. Forward trust merged with one of her another patronage Action on Addiction which was one of Kate’s early patronages.
A fascinating visit to HMP High Down to meet with prisoners and their loved ones and hear about the remarkable work @ForwardTrust does to support them.
Thank you to those who shared their stories, and to Mike Trace from The Forward Trust, for speaking about the organisation’s… pic.twitter.com/DLxKxGzYD9
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 12, 2023
About the visit Kensington Palace said, “The Princess’ experience working with addiction charities for more than a decade has helped lay the groundwork for her understanding of the complexities of mental health and has informed much of her work on the early years. Experiences in Early Childhood, before the age of 5, are proven to have a significant impact on adult lives, including resilience and the ability to cope with adversity.“
During the visit, Princess Kate heard about the work Forward trust do inside the prison to support those who landed in Jail due to their addiction habit. The Princess of Wales learned about the family visit procedure – going through all the security procedures to learn how children visit their parent in prison and what procedures they experience during their time at the prison.
The charity delivers a range of services at HMP High Down, including an intensive abstinence-based programme called The Bridge and a course of workshops focused on restoring communication and confidence with loved ones, titled Family Ties – The Telegraph
This year’s Addiction Awareness Week has a theme of ‘Everybody Knows Somebody’ that reflects the rude reality of our world that everyone knows someone who is suffering from Addiction. From Daily Mail’s report,
The Forward Trust delivers a range of services at HMP High Down, tailored to meet the needs of the men who reside there. They include The Bridge, an intensive abstinence-based programme, Stepping Stones, a low to medium intensity intervention for those whose alcohol or drug consumption is at harmful or dependent levels, and Family Ties, a course of workshops focused on restoring healthy communication and trust between loved ones.
Then Catherine headed towards The clink – an on-site restaurant that provides hospitality training to the inmates. There she was joined by some former prisoners who were helped by The Forward Trust. The trust carries out work in 25 UK prisons and helps people to address everything from substance misuse and mental health to finding employment and housing after leaving prison.
Ouch! Princess of Wales has injured herself keeping fit on a trampoline. Kate sported injured hand as she made her trip to HMP High Down, in Surrey. Palace said it was “a small injury, nothing serious.” She has previously revealed she jumps on the trampoline to keep fit. pic.twitter.com/b8Wj5o6hPR
— Matt Wilkinson (@MattSunRoyal) September 12, 2023
Kate Middleton was wearing band-aid on her right hand. During the discussion she revealed that she suffered a minor injury while jumping on a trampoline at her home in Windsor. Kensington Palace said its a minor injury nothing serious. Catherine revealed recently that she jumps on trampoline to stay fit along side her passion for cold water swimming.
What Kate Middleton wore to visit HMP High Down prison
- Alexander McQueen leaf crepe blazer – (Repeat – Debuted in September 2022)
- Alexander McQueen Trouser – (Repeat – Debuted in September 2022)
- White UFO top
- Kiki Mcdonough Yellow Diamond Leaf earrings – (Repeat – Debuted in in October 2015)
- Daniella Draper Midnight Moon Necklace – (Repeat – Debuted in January 2020)
- Gianvito Rossi 105 Suede pumps.
Heading towards, The Princess of Wales’ Style – Catherine brought one of her familiar looks back for the day.
Kate Middleton was wearing her Alexander McQueen leaf crepe blazer with matching trousers in Amethyst shade that she first wore in September 2022 to welcome the team of HMS Glasgow and then in November 2022 to arrive in Boston (Although some believe the suit from HMS Glasgow meeting was navy and the Boston suit was the same suit but in different shade – Amethyst). We most probably saw the same suit this year in June again when she landed in Jordan for the royal wedding. There is definitely a confusion over the colour of the suit whether its navy or Amethyst or if Kate has same suit in both navy or amethyst. Due to the light effect, we will never be sure of what colour it actually is or whether Kate has two different shades.
She paired the outfit with her Gianvito Rossi 105 Suede pumps
Kiki Mcdonough Yellow Diamond Leaf earrings.
and Daniella Draper Midnight Moon Necklace.