Kate Middleton’s prison visit that shocked everyone

Kate Middleton left a former inmate stunned during a meeting behind bars.

Francesca Fattore had the chance to encounter the Princess of Wales at HMP Send in Surrey while completing a 12-week rehabilitation program in 2020.

She shared her shock, telling Reach PLC: "The one thing that really surprised me about Kate was how she didn’t judge – she just didn’t care that I was a prisoner."

The mother-of-three went on to describe how the Princess treated her like any other person. 

"She sat next to me and treated me like an equal. You’d expect so many people to judge prisoners and ex-prisoners, but she didn’t. She truly supports rehabilitation, and that meant the world to me."

After struggling with a heroin and crack addiction, Francesca’s path led her to prison, where she spent time at HMP Bronzefield among some of the UK's most notorious female convicts.

But it was a visit to HMP Send, where Francesca was undergoing rehabilitation, that changed everything. 

She recalled, "I was shaking with nerves when I met Kate, but she just sat down next to me and said, Don’t be silly, it’s fine. She made me feel so at ease."

The encounter took an unexpected turn when she shared that prison had, surprisingly, been the best thing to happen to her. 

"She was shocked. She said, Why do all prisoners say that to me?" 

The Princess of Wales’ genuine empathy and calming nature left a lasting impression on Francesca.