The Princess of Wales does very little with many of her (few) patronages. Some of her charitable patronages have not seen her in person in years. At first, Kate was patron of a charity called Action on Addiction. She did a handful of half-hearted events with them over the years, then that charity was folded into The Forward Trust. The Forward Trust basically “inherited” Kate as a patron. She’s continued to do very little with this patronage. But hey, a staffer wrote a letter marking Addiction Awareness Week, and Kate signed her name to it.
The Princess of Wales has called for the “fear, shame and judgement” around addiction to come to an end. Speaking to mark Addiction Awareness Week, Catherine said society must show “compassion” to those dependent on drugs, alcohol or gambling, because it is “not a choice… but a complex mental health condition”. Catherine said society’s experience of addiction was “shaped by fear, shame and judgement” and urged people to have open conversations and bring the issue “out of the shadows”.
The Princess is patron of the Forward Trust, a charity supporting recovering addicts, and her message comes as their survey revealed that a majority of adults have experienced or know someone who has lived with forms of addiction.
Catherine said in her message: “Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support. But still, even now in 2025, people’s experience of addiction is shaped by fear, shame and judgement. This needs to change. 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.”
Catherine, who launched the first Addiction Awareness Week in 2021 on behalf of the trust, added: “Recovery is hard, but with the right treatment it is possible. And this begins with a conversation, a listening ear and showing we care. So please join the conversation. By talking about it in the open, together we can bring addiction and the harm it causes out of the shadows.”
She continued: “We can reframe this issue with kindness and understanding, and we can help individuals and families coping with addiction know they are not alone.”
“Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support.” It’s true, but it’s also pretty rich coming from Kate, who did not give one iota of empathy or support to her sister-in-law when she was being bullied and smeared across the board. Kate can’t have it both ways – either she’s a woman of tremendous empathy who looks out for people in difficult circumstances, or she’s the petty drama queen who actively participated in the campaign of abuse towards Meghan.
Proud to be Patron of the Forward Trust this Addiction Awareness Week. Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support. pic.twitter.com/v6d8qaLOmq
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) November 24, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
