Addiction Gets the Royal Treatment As Princess Kate Picks Charities

A princess may seem like an unlikely proponent for drug treatment, but Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has included an organization that helps those struggling with addiction in the short list of charities she plans to champion in the service of her country.

In a first step toward carving out a public role for herself separate from her husband, Prince William, the newly minted royal announced Thursday the UK charities she has chosen to support as patron. The list includes the Art Room, a group that provides art therapy to children, the National Portrait Gallery, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, the Scout Association, and Action on Addiction, which runs a network of addiction treatment centers across England.

The latter is a potentially controversial choice, but the hope is that her patronage can help remove the stigma from addiction in the way Princess Diana’s support for people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS changed public opinion about that disease.

“It's not an easy subject for some people -- but I think this sort of patronage will change that,” said Nick Barton, chief executive of Action on Addiction.

The charity helps those with addiction issues as well as providing support for families of addicts, training for professionals, and backing for research.

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