Princess Kate says she's excited for 2 royal weddings at visit to addiction treatment center
— -- Princess Kate expressed her excitement for the upcoming weddings of Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie at an event today.
"It's very exciting," the Duchess of Cambridge told a member of the crowd in Essex when asked if she was looking forward to Harry's wedding. "And now we have two with Eugenie's."
Kate, 36, who is expecting her third child in April, made the comments while attending the opening of a new addiction treatment center in Wickford, England. The Duchess of Cambridge has been patron of the charity Action on Addiction since 2012. It was one of the original charities that became part of her philanthropic work shortly after her wedding to Prince William.
"It seems like a long time since I first got involved with Action On Addiction, I think it was six years ago, but they have a very special place for me and were really at the start of my learning, particularly now, with the development [of my work] into mental health," Kate said today in an impromptu speech.
"You are very special to me, so it's great to be here as well as seeing the development of where the charity has gone over the years gone past. Huge congratulations, I believe so passionately in community projects so I wish ['Clouds in the Community'] all the best of success in the future," she added.
Kate learned about the work of Action on Addiction's new nine-week recovery program at the facility and met with healthcare professionals, staff and patients who struggling with addiction issues and are at different stages of their treatment and recovery.
The program dubbed "Clouds in the Community" is a "Self-Help Addiction Recovery Programme (SHARP)" seeking to provide an alternative to a residential treatment center. The Essex-based center boasts an 80 percent success rate with patients being able to thrive after completion of the their rehab program and not having to return for further treatment.
Addiction has also been at the heart of Kate's mental health campaign, Heads Together, along with Prince William and Prince Harry. They have sought to highlight the importance of early intervention before the addiction progresses. Kate, William and Harry have made mental health one of the key components of their Royal Foundation. Once Harry marries Meghan Markle in May, she is expected to join the Royal Foundation as well.
