Kate Middleton Visits a Prison Mother and Baby Unit
The Princess of Wales has visited a women's prison as she resumes her public duties following cancer treatment last year. Kate, 43, today met with prisoners, staff and former residents of the Mother and Baby unit at HMP Styal in the north west of England. Kensington Palace said the visit was intended 'to highlight the importance of strong, loving and consistent mother and baby relationships to a child's development, even in the most challenging of environments.'
The Princess arrived at the prison this afternoon where she was scheduled to visit the on-site nursery, meet a group of current prisoners and hear about the support provided by the unit, including targeted interventions and parenting support. The unit is run by the charity Action for Children, which Kate became Patron of in 2016, taking over from Queen Elizabeth.
'Action for Children runs three MBUs inside prisons in the North of England, all of which provide a dedicated place for new and expectant mothers serving a prison sentence or on remand,' Kensington Palace said in a statement about the visit. "Prisoners live in a separate area of the prison and are supported to care for their babies by trained prison staff and early years and family support practitioners. The aim of the MBU is to establish and maintain a strong bond between mother and child, in line with evidence that a key psychological process of attachment takes place between babies and their primary caregiver in the initial months of life, which influences later development.'
The visit feeds into Kate's long-standing interest in raising awareness of the importance of early childhood. She was been working in this area for more than a decade, setting up the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021.
This is Kate's second official engagement of the month as she gradually returns to work in 2025. Last week, she joined school children on a trip to the National Portrait Gallery, arriving with them on a bus.You Might Also Like
12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion
13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
The one change that worked: I started sketching
I've always battled with phone use. I resent how much my sense of being alive in the world – feeling it, doing things, making stuff happen – is affected by my screen time. So a few years ago, I decided to do a sketch every day. I had always wanted to draw, but I was embarrassed about starting out because I was so bad at it. Then I bought a few black notebooks: a small one for my jacket pocket, and larger ones for my bedside and for the kitchen table. As no one would ever see my drawings, I decided I didn't need to care about what anyone thought. One day I grabbed one of the notebooks and a pencil and went out to the Cornish cliffs. I spent 10 minutes hastily drawing some cows and wild ponies. Standing on a cliff, pencil in hand, I felt like an idiot and an impostor, but I had started. It was a happy moment. I had never drawn a pony before but, to my delight, one quick, simple sketch seemed not bad for a beginner. Next, I drew our cat snoozing. Then our dog, Foxy, staking out a mouse in our kitchen. Beside each sketch, I wrote the date and little notes. Having the pencils and sketchbooks within easy reach – in my car or lying around the house – meant these small moments built up. Within weeks what might otherwise have been buried in photos on my mobile phone became a tender profile of my life unfolding on pages. My favourite drawings are often of people. Our daughter, Elizabeth, is usually furious when she realises I'm surreptitiously drawing her. Drawing strangers at airports, in cafes or on the tube is fun. I enjoy the element of danger. Will I get caught? Can I finish the drawing before that person moves on? It helps to pass the time on long journeys instead of spending it on screen. Lots of my sketches are dreadful, but the quickest ones – of people or animals – can have good results because drawing at speed makes my self-consciousness fall away. One unexpected benefit of doing a sketch a day is I spend less time doomscrolling on my phone. Like most people, I am anxious about the state of the world, but drawing slows things down, makes me pay attention to the moment. I lose myself in the act of drawing, and I'm using my hands, which is soothing in itself. Drawing also brings me back to the analogue world. It makes me happier and more patient. Art is known for being therapeutic and transformative, and I've definitely felt the benefits. In two years our daughter will be leaving home. In the future I'll be able to look at those drawing diaries and think, yes, we were together when I did those.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Queen Jetsun, Dubbed the 'Kate Middleton of the Himalayas,' Rings in Birthday with Rare Family Photo
Bhutan's Queen Jetsun Pema celebrated her 35th birthday on June 4 To mark the occasion, she shared a rare family portrait with her husband, King Jigme, and their three children: Prince Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel, Prince Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, and Princess Sonam Yangden The King and Queen wed in 2011 and have been referred to as the Himalayan William and Kate because of their similarities to the British royal coupleQueen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan is marking a milestone birthday. The royal celebrated turning 35 years old on Wednesday, June 4, and shared a new photo of herself and her family to mark the occasion. In an image shared to the Queen's official Instagram account, she and her husband, King Jigme, smiled while seated behind their three children: Prince Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel, 9, Prince Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, 5, and Princess Sonam Yangden, 20 months. "On the occasion of Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen's birthday, we are pleased to share this portrait of the Royal Family, taken last month at Tashichho Dzong by the renowned French photographer Stéphan Gladieu," the caption read. "We join the people of Bhutan in offering our warmest wishes and gratitude to Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen, whose wisdom, grace, and compassion continue to inspire and uplift us all," it continued. "Happy Birthday Your Majesty!🎈" The royal couple rarely shares family portraits, but prior to the princess' arrival in 2023, the King and Queen posted a family photo with their two sons to commemorate their 10th anniversary in 2021. The pair has been referred to in the past as the "Prince William and Kate Middleton of the Himalayas" because of the many similarities between the two couples. Bhutan's royals — known as the Dragon King and Dragon Queen — both attended college in England, and Kate and the Queen both have parents with ties to the airline industry. The Queen's father Dhondup Gyaltshen was an airline pilot, according to the Washington Post, while the Princess of Wales' father was a flight dispatcher and her mother worked as a flight attendant. In another link between the couples, both royal pairs wed for love and shared public kisses following their wedding ceremonies. And, much like Will and Kate, the Bhutanese royals have a young family with three children, with each pair sharing two sons and one daughter. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! The two royal couples met in 2016, when the Dragon King and Dragon Queen invited William and Kate to visit Bhutan to strengthen the relationship between their two countries. While there, William and Kate visited the Bhutanese palace and were greeted with a traditional Bhutanese welcoming ceremony. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Love Island USA' Couples Status Check: Who's Still Together, Who Broke Up After Leaving the Villa?
They got a text — and found love in the Love Island USA villa. The beloved British dating show made its way across the pond in 2019, following a crop of American bombshells searching for The One in a luxury tropical villa. In season 1, eventual winners Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli had a connection too special to ignore. 'We kept checking off each other's boxes.' Elizabeth exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2019. 'I think we just had those sparks from the very first moment.' To celebrate their victory, Elizabeth and Zac planned to visit one another's family. 'With the prize money, we may take a trip to Europe,' she told Us. 'I've never been, and I really want to go. Nothing's set in stone, but then we may move out to L.A. eventually.' While Elizabeth and Zac ultimately called it quits several months later, other couples including season 3's Kyra Lizama and Will Moncada and season 5's Hannah Wright and Marco Donatelli are still going strong. Keep scrolling to check in with the Love Island USA bombshells:
