The Princess of Wales was spotted with a mischievous grin on her face this afternoon as she was searched by a prison guard and a drug detection dog during her royal visit to a male prison in Surrey.
Kate Middleton, who had her fingers strapped following a trampolining injury, sat on a wooden chair as the black Labrador called Penny and the security team checked her as she entered HMP High Down.
A Kensington Palace spokesman confirmed to the Daily Mail that the hurt finger were ‘a small injury, nothing serious’, adding that the Princess had not broken anything.
Looking typically stylish, the mother-of-three opted for a favourite blue Alexander McQueen and grinned broadly as she arrived for the visit to the prison near Sutton that helps those in the criminal justice system recover from addiction.
Despite the injury from her Windsor Garden, she smiled through the pain as she greeted staff and parents of former offenders with a handshake.
As she went through the Category C prison entrance, which welcomes 2,000 visitors a month, the Princess was shown what Penny’s reaction is like when something is found on a person.
Kate, who is a patron of the addiction charity the Forward Trust, told staff: ‘Amazing. It’s incredible, it’s very calm and controlled. It’s not intimidating.’
During the visit, that comes ahead of Addiction Awareness Week in October, she met serving prisoners who are receiving addiction support from the prison.
The Princess went on to visit the institution’s award-winning restaurant, The Clink, which helps inmates become trained in hospitality, where she complimented staff on their ‘delicious looking food’ and met families working with the Forward Trust.
It comes as Kate’s brother-in-law Prince Harry enjoyed watching Invictus Games events in Dusseldorf today as he prepares for his wife Meghan to join him later on.
In Surrey, Kate’s decision to wear Alexander McQueen came 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 ‘Personalized 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.
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 that 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.
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 in the early years.
Experiences in early childhood, before the age of five, are proven to have a significant impact on adult lives, including resilience and the ability to cope with adversity.
The Forward Trust has been helping people break the destructive cycle of addiction and build positive and productive futures since 1991.
Delivering a large and diverse range of addiction, employment, and mental health services nationally, The Forward Trust believes that anyone is capable of lasting change.
The Princess became Patron of The Forward Trust in June 2021 when the charity merged with Action on Addiction, which was one of Her Royal Highness’ first Patronages in 2012.
HMP High Down is the venue for The Clink, a public restaurant run by prisoners in partnership with The Clink Charity. Prisoners study for NVQs in cooking, food service and cleaning while they work.
They also receive mentoring upon release, including support with employment and accommodation.
The Forward Trust works in 25 UK prisons, helping people to address everything from substance misuse and mental health to finding employment and housing for those leaving prison.
The charity also supports clients to improve their relationships with friends and family, including reconnecting with children.
