Prince William says he was ‘inspired’ by his mother, Princess Diana, to end homelessness in new clip from ITV documentary
Prince William has revealed that he has received ‘inspiration’ and ‘guidance’ from his mother, Princess Diana, in his work to end homelessness.
In a new preview for his upcoming ITV documentary Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the Prince of Wales showed the behind-the-scenes journey of his Homewards campaign.
The exclusive ITV documentary charts the first year of his campaign to end homelessness.
The future king has set his sights on making rough sleeping, couch surfing and temporary accommodation a thing of the past in his ambitious five-year initiative program called Homewards.
William, 42, says in the new clip: “I’ve been slowly trying to figure out what I can bring to the role and the platform I have.
“I took some inspiration and guidance from what my mother did, especially around homelessness.”
Prince William has revealed he has received ‘inspiration’ and ‘guidance’ from his mother, Princess Diana, in his work to end homelessness
The exclusive ITV documentary charts the first year of his campaign to end homelessness
In the short clip, posted to Instagram, William can be seen talking to former England footballer Farah Williams, who was once homeless himself – and others who work for Homewards.
“I don’t believe we have to live with homelessness in the 21st century,” William adds.
The Prince of Wales described it as a “unique opportunity” to create lasting change while building on the legacy of his late mother, Princess Diana.
The two-part series, which has the working title Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, follows William as he launches Homewards across the country.
These are stories of people who are currently homeless or have been homeless before.
Well-known supporters of the program and individuals leading projects across Britain will also be in attendance.
In a new preview for his upcoming ITV documentary Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the Prince of Wales showed the behind-the-scenes journey of his Homewards campaign
Princess Diana (right), a former patron of Centrepoint – a charity for the homeless – is pictured talking to residents of a homeless hostel in Centrepoint during a visit on March 10, 1997
Princess Diana (right) visits the Henry Street Settlement, a housing project for the homeless in New York, in February 1989
Pictured: The Prince of Wales visiting the Tillydrone Community Campus, Aberdeen, to highlight how joint community support services can improve early intervention and prevent homelessness, June 27, 2023
Pictured: People sleeping rough in tents next to the River Thames, opposite the Palace of Westminster on June 8, 2022
Prince William (pictured) will star in the exclusive ITV documentary airing in the autumn
Director Leo Burley said: “Over the past year we have followed Prince William and The Royal Foundation through the first year of the Homewards programme.
“We have heard incredibly moving stories from people across the country who have found themselves homeless.
‘From street homelessness in Newport to families living in temporary accommodation in Sheffield, and youth homelessness in Aberdeen, the documentary paints a picture of homelessness in the UK today, working with many people who never expected to experience life without a place to call home. .
“Everyone we filmed with has welcomed the spotlight that Prince William and Homewards are putting on Britain’s homelessness crisis.”
Prince William has long been passionate about the issue of homelessness and is royal patron of charity The Passage, after visiting one of their shelters with his mother at the age of 11.
In 2009 he spent a night sleeping to understand the plight of the homeless at Christmas, and for the past two years in a row he has joined a Big Issue seller at his base.
Pictured: The Prince of Wales visiting the East Belfast Mission at the Skainos Centre, Belfast, as part of his tour of Britain to launch the Homewards project
Pictured: Rough sleepers lie in their makeshift beds outside closed shops at dawn on London’s Oxford Street on August 2, 2023
Homewards brings together a range of organizations to develop solutions in Newport, South Wales, three neighboring towns in Dorset, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, the south London borough of Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen and Sheffield.
Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual at ITV, said: ‘With access to the inner workings of this ambitious project and the work of Prince William and his team, we hope to share with viewers a privileged insight into how they plan to tackling an issue that concerns us all and affects so many of our fellow citizens in the UK.”
Royal Foundation CEO Amanda Berry said: ‘We know television has the power to change hearts and minds.
‘Homelessness can seem like it’s difficult to prevent, but by sharing the reality of people’s experiences and those who come together to support them, we can inspire action.
“This two-part documentary will help raise crucial awareness and show that, by working together, it is possible to end homelessness.”
- The series will air on ITV1 and ITVX this autumn.
