Princess Kate is sharing a message of support for people living with addiction.
The Princess of Wales appears in a new video for The Forward Trust's "Taking Action on Addiction" campaign, which launched today for its second year. As part of Addiction Awareness Week, the royal emphasizes society's role in recognizing addiction as "a serious mental health condition that can happen to anyone, no matter what age, gender, race or nationality."
In the clip, which was recorded at Kensington Palace earlier this month, Kate sits in a drawing room decorated with pictures of her family, while wearing a navy and white polka-dot blouse with a white collar and cuffs.
"Attitudes to addiction are changing. But we are not there yet, and we need to be," she says in the video. "Still the shame of addiction is stopping people and families asking for help and people are still tragically losing their lives."
She adds, speaking directly to those suffering with addiction, "Please know that addiction is not a choice. No one chooses to become an addict. I want you to know that this is also a serious health condition. Please do not let shame hold you back from getting the help you so desperately need."
"We as a society need to recognise that the only way to help those suffering is to try and understand what has led them to addiction, to empathise with them and to be compassionate to their struggles," she continues.
The video also includes images of the princess meeting with members of the Forward Trust during the campaign's launch event last year, where she gave a keynote speech highlighting the importance of understanding what can cause addiction.
Princess Kate became patron of The Forward Trust when the charity merged with Action on Addition, one of her first patronages, in June 2021. The "Taking Action on Addition" campaign runs during the U.K.'s Addiction Awareness Week, from October 30 to November 7. The initiative aims to reframe existing perceptions of addiction and enable more people to ask for and receive help.
Watch the full clip from The Forward Trust below:
Quinci LeGardye is an LA-based freelance writer who covers culture, politics, and mental health through a Black feminist lens. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.
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