Princess Kate Went to a Men’s Prison Today, With an Injured Hand, and New Curtain Bangs

Admittedly, we did not have these items on our royal family bingo card, but it certainly made for an interesting Tuesday: Princess Kate visited a men’s prison today to meet with those struggling with addiction (love this) and brought with her an injured hand and a new hairstyle (we’ll explain). But first, the work: per People, Kate “is highlighting the ways in which addiction and incarceration often intertwine,” and did so by visiting HMP High Down prison in Surrey to learn how inmates and their families are being supported through addiction. (Kate is patron of the Forward Trust, which helps those in the criminal justice system manage and recover from addiction.)

During the visit, Kate was shown what a family goes through during a normal visit to the jail, beginning with the required security process. (Yes, she went through it just like the rest of us would and was searched for drugs by a black Labrador named Penny. Of the dog, Kate said “Amazing. It’s incredible. They are very calm.”) She sat down with incarcerated people whose journey began with addiction, and they detailed the support they receive in prison for their addiction. Kate also spent time in The Clink, a restaurant that trains prisoners in hospitality. Speaking to the kitchen staff—who are also current inmates—Kate said “Well done. It smells delicious.”

High Down has around 1,100 prisoners, and it “has been working to try to ensure that it is a more positive experience, for children in particular,” People reports. (And we know how much children matter to the Princess of Wales.)

Addiction, by the way, is not a new issue for Kate to tackle; it was actually one of the first issues she tackled as a new working royal after marrying Prince William in 2011. “That helped lead to her championing mental health awareness, especially the impact that it has on young children,” People reports. Kate has been working with addiction charities ever since, helping her understand “the complexities of mental health and has informed much of her work on the early years,” her office at Kensington Palace said. “Experiences in early childhood, before the age of five, are proven to have significant impact on adult lives, including resilience and the ability to cope with adversity.” 

Per The Mirror, Kate arrived at the prison complete with “a painful injury caused by playtime with her children,” the outlet reports. Perhaps in a nod to Sarah Burton’s pending departure from the fashion house, Kate wore a recycled blue Alexander McQueen suit, a necklace with the initials G, C, and L on it (we don’t have to tell you who that’s for), and—in a less sweet accessory—two fingers on her right hand taped together. “It is said she sustained the hand injury at home while trampolining with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis [editor’s note: there’s your GCL for you]” but that it is a “minor injury, nothing serious.” The injury didn’t stop her from shaking hands with those she met upon arrival at the prison. While speaking with Ken and Brenda Ash from Weybridge—who used to visit their son Mark at High Down—she said the injury was “My own fault. I was jumping around on the trampoline.” She then added “I did put it on [the bandage] just to keep it safe.”

Kate also debuted new bangs, with Hello reporting “the Princess of Wales appears to have succumbed to the latest it-girl hairstyle of the season, having had bouncy ‘70s bangs cut into her Rapunzel-like locks.”

Kate heard stories from four inmates about overcoming drug and alcohol issues and told them that she strongly believes addiction is not a choice. A Palace source added that she found the exchange “incredibly inspirational,” and, speaking later, Kate said “I asked one of the guys, ‘Would you have liked help [with your addiction] earlier?’ And he said ‘Yes, but I didn’t know I needed it.’”

The aforementioned Mark Ash—who was sentenced to 40 months in High Down for drug offenses—told Kate about how he kicked his heroin addiction in prison. Of Kate’s visit, Ash said “It is very honorable of her to want to come and step into this environment. What I’ve learned is that your family have to recover from your addiction, too, because your addiction affects the whole family. It’s not just about the addict.”

“The princess thinks it’s important to come somewhere like this—a big, difficult prison,” said Mike Trace, chief executive of the Forward Trust. “This is not all sugar-coated. It’s her first visit to a men’s prison.” He added “The charity gives people the opportunity to change, and it’s great to have a patron who gets that.”

Of Kate’s visit, Emily Martin, who has been Governor of High Down since March 2022, said “It’s very important when a member of the royal family coming to see the realities of life and the mechanics of a prison—what they look like, what they smell like.”

Kate’s visit is ahead of Addiction Awareness Week, which will take place from October 28 to November 4 this year. This year’s theme is “Everybody Knows Somebody,” aiming to highlight the vast array of people across society that are affected by addiction.