The Princess of Wales gave her friend Lady Edwina Grosvenor a very warm greeting as she arrived in Southampton to open a new women’s support centre this afternoon.
The royal, 41, travelled to Hampshire today to unveil Hope Street in the city centre.
Hope Street has been developed by the charity One Small Thing, which was founded by Lady Edwina and provides community-based centres for women in the justice system.
The redeveloped building will house five women who are deemed ‘low-risk’ after committing a non-violent offence.
The new centre will offer a community alternative for women who would otherwise be imprisoned unnecessarily due to a lack of safe accommodation or concerns around their wellbeing.
Lady Edwina Grosvenor (left) is the sister of Prince George’s godfather, the Duke of Westminster
As such, Hope Street will offer accommodation to women and also allow them to remain with their children in a home environment.
After walking through the doors, Kate’s face lit up as she greeted Edwina – who, in turn, placed her hands on Kate’s shoulders.
During the engagement, Kate was taken on a tour of the newly-renovated facility by Lady Edwina Grosvenor.
The philanthropist is close friends with Kate – as she is the sister of Prince George’s godfather, the Duke of Westminster.
The Princess listened intently as her friend discussed the work they’ve done on the five en-suite apartments.
Opening up about her experience in the justice system, Lily Lewis – who helped create Hope Street – told the Princess: ‘For me, prison is barbaric.’
The project – which has been independently monitored by The University of Southampton, The Prison Reform Trust and EP:IC – hopes to demonstrate how a compassionate and supportive approach to women in the justice system can have a transformative impact on lives.
The royal opted for an Alessandra Rich midi dress – which she wore to the Wimbledon men’s final last year – to unveil Hope Street in the city centre.
The Princess of Wales looked delighted as she greeted Lady Edwina Grosvenor, who is the founder of the charity One Small Thing
The Princess of Wales styled her luscious brown hair in her signature waves and opted for minimal makeup
Kate, 41, kept her jewellery minimal – opting for a pair of gold pearl earrings to attend the openn
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Hope Street will house five women who are currently in the justice system and will allow them to remain with their children
Perfect in polka dots! The Princess of Wales recycled a £1,335 Alessandra Rich polka dot dress to attend the charity centre opening
Kate’s stunning designer gown, which retails for £1,335 features a frilly V-neck cut and gold button-down detail.
The mother-of-three styled her sophisticated dress with a pair of towering white high heels by Alessandra Rich., which she also wore to Wimbledon.
She then paired this with a box-shaped mini white bag by Mulberry. Opting for her signature blow dry, Kate kept her make-up minimal – opting merely for a brown smokey eye and nude lip.
Kate finished off her outfit with a pair of pearl dangly earrings and wore no other jewellery other than her sapphire engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana.
The Princess of Wales has spent years raising awareness about the importance of early childhood and launched her Shaping Us campaign in January.
Kate’s ongoing campaign aims to improve society’s understanding of the significance of early childhood in shaping adulthood and society as a whole.
In recent months, the Princess of Wales has met with families who spent time in the care system to highlight the importance of strong relationships for children who experience trauma early in life.
Lady Edwina’s brother Hugh (pictured centre with Prince William in 2018) is Prince George’s godfather
Spot on! The Duchess of Cambridge wore a £1,335 polka dot midi dress from go-to label Alessandra Rich for the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final last year
Earlier this year, Kate outlined the scope of her campaign and described it as a long-term project beginning with how a child develops and the importance of the formative years.
Scientific evidence has shown that early experiences can affect children not only socially and emotionally but in their physical development too.
Reports produced by the Early Childhood centre have revealed that the first five years shape future wellbeing more than any other stage of development, with our brains growing faster than at this time then any other.
It also hopes to ‘break the cycle’ of parents who experienced difficult childhoods themselves.
Palace aides say the idea for the project began even before Kate became a mother.
The Italian-born, London-based designer Alessandra Rich has become a go-to for Kate in recent years – with the Princess of Wales previously wearing her designs to Prince Philip’s memorial service and on a royal tour of the Bahamas.
The designer has previously said she is inspired by the ‘polite rebels’ of history, like Princess Diana.
