Kate Middleton wants to end the “stigma” around addiction.
The Princess of Wales, 43, marked the start of Addiction Awareness Week in the UK on Monday with a rare personal statement where she showed support for people battling addiction and called on others to do the same.
“This Addiction Awareness Week, I am, as always, very glad to lend my support to this hugely important campaign,” Middleton began her message, which was shared on Instagram. “Through my role as Patron of the Forward Trust, it has been humbling to see the significant progress made to better understand addiction and tackle the stigma surrounding it. But there remains much more to do.”
“Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support,” the continued. “But still, even now in 2025, people’s experience of addiction is shaped by fear, shame and judgement. This needs to change.”
The future queen explained that the stigma that surrounds addicts allows the disease “to thrive behind closed doors, impacting families and communities, and ultimately ruining lives.”
“Many of us will know someone who is struggling with an addiction,” she said. “Now is the moment to show our compassion and love to help them, or their friends and family, to reach out to organizations like The Forward Trust for support.”
“Recovery is hard,” Middleton acknowledged, “but with the right treatment it is possible. And this begins with a conversation, a listening ear and showing we care. By talking about it in the open, together we can bring addiction and the harm it causes out of the shadows. We can reframe this issue with kindness and understanding, and we can help individuals and families coping with addiction know they are not alone.”
A photo of the letter showed that Middleton used her first name, Catherine, as her signature.
Meanwhile, the top of the letter had her solo cypher, a “C” for Catherine, stamped in gold over “Kensington Palace.”
Along with sharing the letter on Instagram, Middleton wrote in the caption, “Proud to be Patron of the Forward Trust this Addiction Awareness Week. Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support.”
The Forward Trust is a British charity that helps people with drug and alcohol dependence. Middleton has been royal patron of the Forward Trust since June 2021.
Middleton typically signs her letters with her royal name though she uses her full name for official correspondence related to her charities that are near and dear to her heart.
The princess has been busy returning to her royal duties since she stepped away from the spotlight during her cancer battle.
She announced her diagnosis in March 2024 and under treatment, forcing her to take a break from her public-facing duties. That September, Middleton announced she was cancer-free.
