Princess Kate Pays Tribute To Her Children As She Visits Surrey Prison
The Princess of Wales has visited a Surrey prison to learn how inmates are being supported by a charity to recover from their addictions.
Kate, 41, is touring HMP High Down ahead of Addiction Awareness Week to hear about the efforts of The Forward Trust, which she supports as patron.
Looking typically stylish, the mother-of-three opted for her blue Alexander McQueen suit for the outing – following the news that Sarah Burton, who designed the royal’s wedding dress, has stepped down as creative director of the brand after more than 25 years at the company.
Kate also paid tribute to her children by donning a necklace complete with their initials; she wore the £1,070 ‘Personalised Gold Midnight Moon Necklace’ by Daniella Draper, which was engraved with the letters ‘G, L, C’ in honour of her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.
The theme of this year’s Addiction Awareness Week is ‘Everybody Knows Somebody’, which aims to highlight the vast array of people across society who are affected by addiction.
The princess will shadow a family during a normal visit, starting with the security procedures that must be followed before visitors are allowed to enter the institution, a Category C men’s prison and young offender institution housing around 1,100 prisoners.
READ: Why Kate Middleton Chooses Not to Share New Photos of George, Charlotte, and Louis at School
She will hear about the impact this has on families and will learn about the recent efforts HMP High Down has put into practice to make the experience more positive for children in particular.
Later serving prisoners working with The Forward Trust will discuss with Kate their experiences and the support they are receiving from the charity and prison.
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.
Before leaving Kate will visit The Clink, an on-site restaurant which trains prisoners in hospitality, where she will meet with former prisoners and Forward Trust alumni.
Here she will speak to those who have worked with and volunteered for the charity in prison and the community and learn how they have been supported to recover from and manage their addictions.
Guests in attendance will be celebrating the concept that recovery is possible for all those struggling with an addiction, in preparation for Addiction Awareness Week the following month.