Princess Anne has officially opened a new trauma-informed
support hub in Edinburgh designed to help victims and witnesses of
crime give evidence without attending court in person.
The Princess Royal, who serves as president of Victim Support
Scotland, visited the charity’s new national office at Broadside
House on Powderhall Road on 30 June as part of Royal Week in
Scotland.
During the engagement, Her Royal Highness toured the new
facilities, met staff and volunteers, and spoke with survivors and
families who have been supported by the charity after experiencing
crime.
The new Edinburgh centre includes state-of-the-art remote
evidence suites, allowing vulnerable victims and witnesses to give
evidence directly to courtrooms through secure high-definition
video links. The facilities are designed to provide a calm,
trauma-informed environment, helping to reduce the stress and
anxiety often associated with attending court in person.
Victim Support Scotland, an independent volunteer-led charity,
supports around 50,000 people across Scotland each year by
providing emotional support, practical assistance and guidance
through the criminal justice process.
Speaking after the visit, interim Chief Executive Debbie Adams
said: “We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess
Royal to officially open our Edinburgh office.
“We are incredibly proud of this welcoming, trauma-informed
space, and have had resoundingly positive feedback from people who
have used our new remote evidence suites.
“The Princess Royal is a great supporter of Victim Support
Scotland, and we hugely value the interest she takes in our work
and the time she takes to speak with people who have been impacted
by crime.”
As president of Victim Support Scotland, the Princess Royal has
long championed the charity’s work, having attended its national
volunteer conference in 2025 and visited its Glasgow base in
2023.
Supporting victims of domestic abuse and violence has become an
increasingly prominent priority for the Royal Family. Queen Camilla
has used her platform to shine a light on domestic and sexual
violence, meeting survivors, backing frontline organisations and
repeatedly calling for greater awareness of violence against women
and girls. While the Princess Royal’s patronage focuses on
supporting all victims of crime, her latest engagement reflects the
wider Royal Family’s continued commitment to improving services for
those affected by abuse and violence.
The official opening took place during the Royal Family’s annual
Royal Week in Scotland, a programme of engagements celebrating
communities, charities and organisations across the country.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalcentral.co.uk ’
