PRINCESS Kate was today greeted with cat calls and cheers as she visited a women’s jail to meet pregnant convicts and mums of babies born behind bars.
The Princess of Wales, 43, spoke to four mum’s about how they cope – as she toured into HMP Styal near Wilmslow in Cheshire.
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Kate was pictured laughing with staff in the unitCredit: Reuters
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The princess entering the prison under an umbrellaCredit: Reuters
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Kate discussed the role of the unit with staff membersCredit: Reuters
Kate – patron of Action for Children, wanted to see the jail’s Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) to highlight how important “strong, loving and consistent” relationships are to a child’s development – even in the most challenging of environments.
As she walked through the prison grounds dozens of women inmates leaned out of the windows and the royal was greeted with loud wolf-whistles and cat-calls.
The princess smiled, waved and said “hello” to inmates who peered out for a glimpse of their royal visitor.
Her face-to-face with inmates with newborn babies was private but she also got to speak to two ex-inmates, who had been mothers while previously behind bars.
A former inmate who was at HMP Styal for 14 months, told the princess about the huge range of prison courses they had been on and how much of a difference it had made to their parenting.
She said: “It was a safe space. It was run by the charity [Action for Children] and not by the prison regime.
“So to have that opportunity to step outside of the regime, if only for a few hours, was so important. You could just be a mum. Share ideas about how to be a better parent. I wish I could have done more.”
Another ex-inmate who was at the prison for 11 months and arrived when she was 30 weeks pregnant, told Kate: “It’s difficult because the crime was unrelated to decisions I made in parenthood but yes I have worked in the community and I think to have things like this [parenting courses] is imperative.
They added: “We are both first time mums and put it this way, we didn’t start the best way. But where we are now is incredible. We got the most out of it we possibly could.
Kate to meet families and kids on visit to children’s hospice in Wales
“We made silly decisions and ended up in this position, but you can’t turn back the clock. So we just stuck with it in here and got as much out of it as we could. There is so much we have done that I wouldn’t necessarily get access to if this hadn’t have happened.”
Kate said: “It gave you that really focused time to build that bond.”
Speaking to the prison’s family support team, Kate added: “We know how important attachment and bonding is to the emotional and social development of babies and the fact that you are able to do this right from the moment of birth in this setting is so important.
“It is great that you are looking at the mother’s wellbeing as well. The best thing for baby is to have a mother who’s emotional needs and wellbeing is met as well.
“Do you think more could be done in the communities before it reaches crisis point for a lot of these women? I always find it so frustrating that it gets to this crisis point.
“You work with these women from pregnancy through up to two years. You can monitor the outcomes. You know it works.
“One of the mothers I spoke to said she actually had a stronger attachment to her baby as a result of being in this environment than she did with her previous two-year-old.”
Pregnant women and mothers live in a separate area of the jail and are supported to care for their babies by trained prison staff.
The princess was seen beaming as she negotiated the wet weather under an umbrella.
In another snap, she gives a warm wave as she is escorted towards the unit by three escorts.
Later, Kate was pictured chatting with members of staff inside the unit, surrounded by children’s toys.
A sign behind her read: “Safe and happy childhood.”
Kate established The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021.
Her visit is part of a “gradual” return to front-line duty after her cancer diagnosis.
In her last public appearance, Kate was joined by young children for an interactive day at the National Portrait Gallery in London last week.
The gallery had previously launched Kate’s Shaping Us Framework – a new project aiming to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of social and emotional skills across society.
The princess was pictured playing teacher as she accompanied beaming pupils from All Souls CE Primary School on the school bus to the event – and helped them draw self-portraits.
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Kate waved as she entered the prisonCredit: Reuters
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Kate beaming, in front of a sign that read ‘Safe and happy childhood’Credit: Reuters
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Kate laughed at she negotiated the wet weatherCredit: Reuters
At the end of January, Kate also visited Tŷ Hafan’s children’s hospice in Wales, of which she is a patron.
Princess Diana previously held the position while the hospice was in its fundraising stage.
Kate played with eight kids during the visit and spoke to four parents who lost children, as well as painting a hand print on the wall.
The engagement marked her first public appearance in Wales since revealing her cancer diagnosis.
A few days before, Kate hugged Holocaust survivors at a reception for around 50 survivors of the Nazi campaign and survivors of subsequent genocides.
This included an emotional reunion with Yvonne Bernstein and Stephen Frank, two Holocaust survivors she photographed in 2020.
The event marked 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Timeline of Kate’s health battle & recovery
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Last week, the Princess of Wales joined a group of four and five-year-old school children from All Souls CE Primary SchoolCredit: BackGrid
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In January, she visited kids at Tŷ Hafan’s children’s hospice in WalesCredit: PA
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The Princess of Wales embracing Yvonne Bernstein at an event for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
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Kate at HMP Styal in WilmslowCredit: Reuters