Kate Middleton gets a sniff-down from drug detection dog during prison visit | UK News

The Princess of Wales had an encounter with a drug detection labrador called Penny while visiting a Surrey prison to learn about the work of an addiction charity.

Kate is a patron of The Forward Trust, which supports inmates at HMP High Down near Banstead, and was highlighting their work ahead of Addiction Awareness Week next month.

She met bosses, inmates and ex-offenders at the site with a bandage around her fingers, explaining she’d injured them while using a trampoline.

But before she entered the prison, she was given a quick demonstration of Penny’s nose skills – and shown what happens when she finds something.

‘Amazing. It’s incredible, it’s very calm and controlled. It’s not intimidating,’ Kate said.

Once inside, the princess had a chat with inmates being trained in hospitality at the prison’s award-winning restaurant, The Clink, and complimented them on the ‘delicious’ looking food.

Among those who met her was Richard Stephenson, also known as Steff, who was a client of The Forward Trust more than 20 years ago and recovered from his own addiction.

The NHS service manager said: ‘It’s really important people from different genres take interest and ask questions.

‘It’s about believing people can change… I’m a professional now. It’s really important to come from that and meet someone who may be a future queen.’

Kate has been a patron for the cause since 2021, when it merged with Action on Addiction.

Previous to the merge, she had been a patron for the other charity since 2012, making it one of the first roles she took on after her marriage to William.

Mark Ash, an ex-inmate of HMP High Down who now works with The Forward Trust to support others, said her work drawing attention to addiction would help others like him.

He said: ‘When someone like Kate puts herself on that platform people are going to listen because she’s the Princess of Wales.

‘It’s honourable of her to want to step in.’

High Down is one of 25 prisons supported by The Forward Trust across the UK.

Its governor Emily Martin said of the princess: ‘She’s very natural and clearly genuinely interested which I think it’s really important.’

She added that Kate was ‘genuinely curious and wants to help’.

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