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Prince William quietly carried out engagements in London on Thursday while Princess Kate travelled to Essex to highlight Addiction Awareness Week.
According to the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements, the Prince of Wales paid a visit to the Secret Intelligence Service in the capital. Later that day, William also held a meeting with BBC director-general Matt Brittin.
At the same time, Catherine was carrying out an engagement at Garon Park in Southend, Essex, where the Forward Trust runs weekly gardening activities for people recovering from addiction.
During her visit, the Princess listened to emotional personal accounts from those receiving support and joined participants in the garden. The outdoor programme gives people in recovery an opportunity to connect with nature while taking part in practical gardening activities.
READ MORE: Princess Kate Hosts Intimate Windsor Castle Tea Party With Powerful Message About Recovery
During her time at the cricket ground, Catherine was given a tour of its outdoor facilities, including a wellbeing walking route and a gardening space. Both areas are available to people supported by the Forward Trust’s Southend Treatment and Recovery Service (Stars), offering them somewhere to walk and talk or take part in gardening.
The Princess also spent time speaking with service users about their experiences of addiction and recovery. Among them was Steph Sampson, who is recovering from alcohol addiction and told Catherine that, during the most difficult period of her addiction, she had concealed the extent of her drinking from her children.
Catherine, who serves as patron of the Forward Trust, visited as part of Addiction Awareness Week and emphasised the role that spending time outside can play in recovery, describing the outdoors as “so vital for healing”.
While discussing gardening with Mr King, the Princess revealed Prince William’s enthusiasm for the subject, saying: “I should have my husband here, he knows a lot (about gardening), he’s really passionate.”
She also joked that a beehive experience designed for children sounded “right up my street”.
Catherine launched the Forward Trust’s inaugural Addiction Awareness Week in 2021. This year’s campaign began on Saturday and continues until Friday, with the charity seeking to generate 17,000 conversations about addiction.
The figure was chosen to represent the number of lives lost annually in the UK from drug or alcohol-related causes.
