Kate Middleton visited HMP High Down in partnership with The Forward Trust in Surrey, England on Sept. 12.Photo:Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Kate Middletonsported something surprising for her latest engagement.
On Tuesday, the Princess of Wales, 41, stepped out atHMP High Down, a men’s prison in Surrey, England, visiting in her role as patron of The Forward Trust before Addiction Awareness Week in the U.K. Princess Kate smiled as she arrived, and wore bandages on her right hand.
The Princess of Wales’ index and middle fingers were tapped together — for a relatable reason! Princess Kate hurt her hand while playing on the trampoline with her childrenPrince George, 10,Princess Charlotte, 8, andPrince Louis, 5. A spokesperson for Kensington Palace confirmed to PEOPLE it is “a small injury, nothing serious.”
The trampoline might be afavorite way to playfor the Wales family, as Kate spoke about jumping around on it with George, Charlotte and Louis earlier this year.
Kate Middleton visited HMP High Down in Surrey, England on Sept. 12.Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
According to theDaily Mirror, Kate replied, “It’s running around after the children — I do it all, whenever I can squeeze in exercise I do, even jumping on the trampoline with my children before school.”
A photo of Kate Middleton’s bandaged fingers during a visit to HMP High Down on Sept. 12.Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
The royal has sported bandages on her right hand before and wore tape around her right thumb a few times last year, from a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital in October 2022 and a National Service of Thanksgiving forQueen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee that June.
Kate might have applied the bandages to help heal everyday injuries sustained during her hands-on hobbies — likecooking,gardeningorbeekeeping.
Cameron Spencer/Getty
Though her hand was hurt, Kate was totally focused at HMP High Down on Tuesday, visiting to learn more about how inmates and their families are being supported through addiction. She observed how theForward Trust, of which she is theroyal patron, helps those in the criminal justice system manage and recover from addiction. She shadowed the experience of a family visit to the facility, starting with the required security process, and heard about efforts to improve visits for kids. High Down, a men’s prison with around 1,100 inmates, has been working to try to ensure that it is a more positive experience, for children in particular.
Addiction was one of the first issues Kate adopted after she marriedPrince Williamin 2011. That helped lead to her championing mental health awareness, especially the impact that it has on young children.
Kate Middleton visited HMP High Down in Surrey, England on Sept. 12.Kin Cheung - Pool/Getty Images
Kin Cheung - Pool/Getty Images
Kate has been working with addiction charities for more than a decade, 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.”
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Addiction Awareness Week, which takes place in the UK from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, has the theme of “Everybody Knows Somebody.” The Princess became the patron of The Forward Trust in June 2021 when the charity merged with Action on Addiction, which was one of her first royal patronages in 2012.
source: people.com
