The Duchess of Cambridge as Patron of Action on Addiction

[Zonk]

Arms of HRH The Duchess of Cambridge


The Duchess of Cambridge as
Patron of Action on Addiction
Announced January 5, 2012


"Action on Addiction works to free people from addiction, support their families, and educate professionals in the addictions field. The charity has treatment centres throughout England, a specialist family service, an innovative research programme and an expert training centre. The charity has centres in Dorset, London, Merseyside and Wiltshire, but operates nationally."

Official Website

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[PrincessKaimi]

Kate was at a charity today, as well (Action on Addiction). William was not there, of course. I'm not sure what counts as a "solo engagement," but it sounds as if this is something where she was the only royal involved. It was not a public event.

Kate keeps busy on William's first day in the Falklands

 

[sheikah deena]

Kate was at a charity today, as well (Action on Addiction). William was not there, of course. I'm not sure what counts as a "solo engagement," but it sounds as if this is something where she was the only royal involved. It was not a public event.

Kate keeps busy on William's first day in the Falklands

very nice , prince william look so nice

 

[ghost_night554]

Duchess of Cambridge meets recovering addicts on secret visit to treatment centre - Telegraph

 

[Lady Ann]

Kate Middleton goes solo: Duchess of Cambridge will spend Valentine's Day in Liverpool without William | Mail Online

 

[Baroness of Books]

Kate's keeping busy in William's absence:

Duchess of Cambridge secretly meets with recovering drug addicts and alcoholics as William leaves for The Falklands | Mail Online

 

[Mermaid1962]

Oooooooh..."secretly." The word has such a different connotation to "privately" or "confidentially."

 

[Daria_S]

Oooooooh..."secretly." The word has such a different connotation to "privately" or "confidentially."

Just another example of DM stirring the pot when there's no need to be doing so. As so many pointed out, when there's no newsworthy material, one must create some , even if it makes the paper look ridiculous in the process.

 

[sheikah deena]

Kate Middleton goes solo: Duchess of Cambridge will spend Valentine's Day in Liverpool without William | Mail Online

Ooh she’s seem very good person very Nice to heard another royals members care that much about charity things

 

[marine2109]

With William away, caring Kate devotes Valentine's Day to duties

Kate to attend second solo engagement on Valentines Day - hellomagazine.com

 

[Lenora]

Duchess of Cambridge turns to her uncle for advice on addiction - Telegraph

 

[Patra]

Interesting article regarding her uncle, I was unaware of this addiction struggles!

 

[Baroness of Books]

While he may be a good source of information for Kate regarding his addiction, her uncle sounds like someone who may not be too discreet when flouting his connections to the royal family. Flamboyantly arriving at her wedding in a luxury Rolls Royce convertible and talking to the press about rooms at BP (if that's to be believed) sounds like some self-aggrandizement to me. Just my perspective.

 

[Daria_S]

While he may be a good source of information for Kate regarding his addiction, her uncle sounds like someone who may not be too discreet when flouting his connections to the royal family. Flamboyantly arriving at her wedding in a luxury Rolls Royce convertible and talking to the press about rooms at BP (if that's to be believed) sounds like some self-aggrandizement to me. Just my perspective.

I would have to agree with you. If I were Catherine, I would be very careful of what I say to such a relative. It appears that he wants to milk his connections for all they're worth, and act as if he's more important than he actually is.

 

[MichelleQ2]

While he may be a good source of information for Kate regarding his addiction, her uncle sounds like someone who may not be too discreet when flouting his connections to the royal family. Flamboyantly arriving at her wedding in a luxury Rolls Royce convertible and talking to the press about rooms at BP (if that's to be believed) sounds like some self-aggrandizement to me. Just my perspective.

This appears to all be coming from uncle Gary's camp. Can you imagine uncle Gary making an official appearance with her? In his dreams! The Duchess' people discreetly said effectively no comment.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Whether he is a talker or not, I'm sure he is a good source of information for Kate when she is taking on addictions as one of her charities. Doing more research into the how and why he became an addict and what it was like. Also if he is clean now, how did he accomplish it. I've always thought that her choice of this charity was connected to her uncle.

 

[LadyGabrielle]

Oh for the love of God!! Could this be possible? I know her Uncle Gary would be the choice to ask but please, there are others out there who could help her understand addictions. I'm shocked that he would even be allowed anywhere around the family. O.k. maybe he is clean but his overall character is NOT appropriate and quite frankly I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Just my opinion.

 

[cinrit]

He's a family member, of course he's allowed around the family. I'm sure they love him. Families don't just throw away relatives because they have a problem.

 

[Kataryn]

I would have to agree with you. If I were Catherine, I would be very careful of what I say to such a relative. It appears that he wants to milk his connections for all they're worth, and act as if he's more important than he actually is.

That's not fair towards "Uncle Gary". The journalist quotes "a friend of Goldsmith's" who blabbed and we all know this kind of friends...

Mandrake in his article then says: "Goldsmith, 46, the younger brother of Kate Middleton’s mother, Carole, would not comment when I raised the issue with him, and a spokesman for the Duchess told me he did not wish to discuss her “private relations with her family.”

So fact is that Gary Goldsmith personally did not comment. Neither did Catherine's spokesman.

So I don't think it is right to believe only because this journalist as well as others connected Catherine's interest in addiction (which is a hugh problematic topic where youngsters are concerned in the whole of Europe, BTW) with her uncle, it is not a proven fact that this is indeed the reason. Apart from using his own car (which is a bit flashy, okay) on arrival to the Royal wedding, Gary Goldsmith has behaved impeccably. My personal guess is that he does so in exchange for a future introduction of his daughter into Catherine and Pippa's circles when Tabitha is old enough (she is still in school, isn't she?).

Binge drinking is a big topic and it is an important task to bring the dangers of addiction into the youngster's minds. Especially as Catherine and William have their own personal history with falling out of nightclubs short before dawn. So now on planning to become parents it might have seemed to them that it's a worthy task to prevent youngsters from becoming alcohol addicts.

 

[Princess of Durham]

I don't recall Catherine ever "falling out of nightclubs shortly before dawn". Obviously Prince Harry has had his moments, but I don't recall anything like this with Kate.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I don't remember anything like that either.

I don't recall Catherine ever "falling out of nightclubs shortly before dawn".

 

[agami.pearl]

I remember, few times she partied long hours with William and he was visibly drunk. Harry is not only one who likes good fun.

 

[Kataryn]

I remember, few times she partied long hours with William and he was visibly drunk. Harry is not only one who likes good fun.

Okay, Catherine never danced on the table like some other HRH reportedly did but she and William had been out till the small hours and both looked a little bit worse for wear... I guess these times are over now...

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

He's a family member, of course he's allowed around the family. I'm sure they love him. Families don't just throw away relatives because they have a problem.

Thank you! I don't know what is with this idea that her uncle should just be ostracized and ignored now that she is a Duchess. We don't know much about their relationship, perhaps despite his faults he is loving towards his family. And I could have sworn that he has been behaving well since the incident years ago when he talked to the press.

 

[HRHHermione]

Thank you! I don't know what is with this idea that her uncle should just be ostracized and ignored now that she is a Duchess. We don't know much about their relationship, perhaps despite his faults he is loving towards his family.

Plus... what did he really do that was so wrong? At this point, it's well known that News of the World set out to deliberately entrap people and make them look bad to sell papers. In fact, their tactics were so dishonest and such bad journalism that they were forced out of business and many people associated with them are under investigation.

At the very worst, we saw him buying cocaine (which is bad, but we already knew he was an addict- he's honest about his struggles with addiction) and we saw him talking about his royal connections in what he assumed was complete privacy, and probably while he was under the influence.

The man's an addict, and that's sad and tragic, but he hasn't really done anything to merit the level of disdain directed towards him. In fact, he's been a very successful businessman and by all appearances, he has a good relationship with his family as long as he's clean and sober.

I don't see why it would be a bad thing for the Duchess to talk to him about his battles with addiction and use that has her personal inspiration for helping others struggling with the same illness.

 

[Osipi]

I don't see why it would be a bad thing for the Duchess to talk to him about his battles with addiction and use that has her personal inspiration for helping others struggling with the same illness.

One thing very important to a recovering addict too is to have the love and support of family. With Kate seriously taking on this issue, it shows her uncle that he's definitely not alone and on the other hand, perhaps it shows those that she reaches out to that addiction has affected her life personally and she's with them in the struggle and not just an outsider looking in.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

BTW I agree HRHHermione, that Uncle George has never done anything that deserves the treatment he gets from some. It sometimes seems that he is just used by people to continue to drag Kate down and paint her as being "lower" than the station she has married into; and that her and her family are social climbers.

 

[grevinnan]

Okay, Catherine never danced on the table like some other HRH reportedly did but she and William had been out till the small hours and both looked a little bit worse for wear... I guess these times are over now...

Nightclubs are by definition places to go for fun and dancing until the small hours. I hope they still find the time to go out with friends and have a good time - away from cameras and prying eyes.

 

[MARG]

Nightclubs are by definition places to go for fun and dancing until the small hours. I hope they still find the time to go out with friends and have a good time - away from cameras and prying eyes.

I think they were thinking more of the "wee small hours" and "looking a little bit worse for wear". Perhaps they hope for a new "family" focused Cambridge couple.

 

[Dman]

In her recent tour of the north-east, the Duchess of Cambridge met members of M-PACT, a project helping families affected by addiction. Olivia Parker looks at their ground-breaking work:
Duchess of Cambridge gives addiction charity royal support - Telegraph