Kate Middleton meets with prisoners in mother and baby unit
Kate, the Princess of Wales, visited a prison Tuesday to put a spotlight on the effort to keep mothers connected to their children even while behind bars.
Kate traveled to Wilmslow, Cheshire, nearly 200 miles outside of London, to visit HMP Styal, a prison that houses around 400 women ages 18 and over, according to Kensington Palace.
During her time at the prison, Kate, herself a mother of three, visited the Mother and Baby Unit, a separate area of the prison that allows new and expectant moms to live alongside their babies.
The princess met with prisoners currently in the unit, and also visited an on-site nursery for babies and children living with their moms at the prison, according to the palace.
Kate also met with staff and former residents of the prison, which receives support for its Mother and Baby Unit from Action for Children, a U.K.-based charity that Kate supports.
Kate's visit to the prison is part of her work supporting early childhood development, according to the palace.
Five years ago, Kate founded the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, which she has said is designed to "raise awareness of why the first five years of life are just so important for our future life outcomes, and what we can do as a society to embrace this golden opportunity to create a happier, more mentally healthy, more nurturing society."
Kate visited the prison solo, without her husband, Prince William.
The princess's engagement outside of London marked another step in her return to a fuller schedule of royal duties after revealing last year that she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer.
On Jan. 15, Kate shared a message on social media stating that her cancer is in remission, writing, "It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery."
