Princess Kate and Prince William have made it clear that for them, charity work isn't about taking on hundreds of patronages and making occasional appearances, but more about driving real change. The heart of the Princess of Wales's royal work surrounds confronting issues in early childhood and making sure parents are informed about childhood development as much as possible, but she also holds roles in a number of other charities, including addiction support organization The Forward Trust.
The charity helps those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction—a worthy cause by any measure. But when it came to Addiction Awareness Week last week, the Princess of Wales received some harsh criticism for a heartfelt letter she wrote pointing out that addiction in its many forms "is not a choice."
She added that being an addict also wasn't "a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support." Instead of reacting with "fear, shame and judgement," the Princess of Wales wrote that people should confront their stereotypes—a suggestion that wasn't received well by some Brits.
Princess Kate is pictured with former prisoners who received help with rehabilitation from the Forward Trust during a 2020 event.
"I am sure that HRH meant well and that she feels genuine sympathy for addicts," Theodore Dalrymple wrote in the Telegraph. "But unfortunately, her view is simple, unsophisticated, dehumanizing and empirically false."
One Daily Mail writer, Peter Hitchens, went as far as to claim Kate was spreading "the wicked, destructive idea that we are all powerless to fight against bad choices," claiming she had "joined the side of the liberal Left." He added, "What about royal neutrality?"
On Thursday, December 4, the Daily Mail's Richard Eden penned a column supporting the Princess of Wales, noting that he spoke with a friend of Kate's about the backlash.
"The Forward Trust has changed the lives of thousands of people blighted by addiction," Princess Kate's friend told the journalist. "What Her Royal Highness is trying to do is get rid of the stigma of addiction so people are not ashamed to seek help. If that means she will face more criticism, she's willing to take that risk."
The Princess of Wales is pictured visiting a prison in her role as patron of The Forward Trust in 2023.
The Princess of Wales has served as patron of The Forward Trust since June 2021, having previously served as patron of Action on Addiction, with merged with the charity that year. She's spoken about how problems in early childhood can lead to addiction down the road, drawing parallels between two of her passion projects.
Ultimately, the princess says her hope is for the "stigma" surrounding addicts to change.
In her letter, she wrote, "The stigma surrounding those who face addiction allows it to thrive behind closed doors, impacting families and communities, and ultimately ruining lives. Many of us will know someone who is struggling with an addiction. Now is the moment to show our compassion and love to help them, or their friends and family, to reach out to organisations like The Forward Trust for support."
