Prince William’s dedication to helping eliminate homelessness is a tribute to the work of Diana
Prince William’s visit to the Centrepoint housing charity in London this week showed that, for all the recent changes in royal life – including his growing seniority – his commitment to one particular cause remains undimmed.
In fact, he dedication to the issue of homelessness seems to reflect a need to continue the work started by his late mother.
On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales attended the opening of Reuben House, a new independent living project established by the charity.
William has admitted that Diana, who remained a patron of Centrepoint after her divorce from Charles, would be disappointed that, decades later, homelessness remains a major problem.
Princess Diana had taken young Princes William and Harry along with her on visits to homeless shelters to show them the realities of a life on the streets.
Prince William has continued his mother’s work and attended the opening of Centrepoint’s Reuben House in London
Prince William’s unfaltering dedication to helping eliminate homelessness seems to reflect a painful need to finish the work started by his late mother
Princess Diana saw taking her sons, William and Harry, to visit homeless charities such as The Passage (pictured) as a vital part of their education
The Prince of Wales has now made homelessness one of the key focus points in his public work, which serves as a poignant tribute to his mother’s memory
‘She didn’t want the boys to grow up thinking the whole world was 4×4 range rovers, shotguns, and nannies,’ according to royal biographer Andrew Morton, speaking on Channel 5’s Diana: Queen of Hearts?
They visited homelessness charity The Passage together in 1993, which William said ‘showed me another part of society that I probably wouldn’t have exposure to’.
Speaking on the Listen Up podcast, he added: ‘It piqued an interest at the time, because the kind of characters that I met were incredible, they were wonderful people.
‘And the stories, albeit, obviously, at the time it was kept quite light for me at that age, gradually as my interest got deeper into it, and I spent more time talking to people, I’ve always come away hugely inspired by what I’ve heard.’
She became known for her numerous visits to shelters, one night slipping out of Kensington Palace to visit the homeless who had managed to find a bed at the Parish Hall of Westminster Cathedral.
Many of the residents did not initially recognise the Princess, who arrived unannounced at 11pm wrapped in a heavy black coat and left just before midnight.
Diana talks to a young homeless person at a Centrepoint homeless hostel during a visit to the centre in 1997
She was joined by Prince William during a visit to a Centrepoint hostel in Soho, London in 1996
He was pictured talking to young people at the opening of the new development, which forms a key part of the strategy for combatting youth homelessness
The Princess became a patron for Centrepoint in 1992 and it was one of a handful of charities for which she kept her position after her divorce.
As well as her attachment to The Passage, she was also a regular visitor to Depaul UK, a homelessness charity dedicated to supporting young people, and opened the first Depaul Trust Hostel in Willesden in June 1995.
Taking her sons to her visits was viewed as a crucial part of their education by the Princess and her dedicated charity work made a clear impression on William and Harry.
Former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond told Channel 5: ‘I think both the boys had a huge admiration for what their mother did, they watched her take on these causes that weren’t fashionable and were very difficult and I think now they really get involved in the charities they do get on.’
Continuing his mother’s work, Prince Harry visited Lesotho in 2004 and met with AIDs orphans, much like Diana did 20 years prior, and in 2019 he retraced his mother’s steps by walking through the former minefield where she had walked in 1997.
Meanwhile, William has taken over Diana’s role as patron of Centrepoint as well as being made patron for The Passage, more than 25 years after his first visit.
But is attempts to sympathise with the struggles of a life on the streets have gone further than royal titles and in December 2009 he spent a night sleeping rough in London, accompanied by Centrepoint’s chief executive, Seyi Obakin.
Speaking to the Mail at the time, Mr Obakin said: ‘William asked whether there was anything he could do to help understand what our young people go through.
Prince William spent the night sleeping rough alongside Centrepoint CEO Seyi Obakin in December 2009
He was pictured talking to young people during a visit to homelessness charity Centrepoint in 2005
William was made patron of Centrepoint – a position previously held by his late mother – in September 2005. He is pictured in the kitchen at a Centrepoint hostel in 2006
Prince William is seen dancing with Vanessa Boateng as Kate looks on laughing during a visit to Centrepoint
At the Winter Whites Centrepoint Gala in 2013, Prince William joined in singing with Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi
‘I thought on my feet and came up with the thing that I thought he was least likely to do. To my surprise, he said yes. We took as much precaution as possible – finding a relatively secluded spot in an alleyway, shielded partly by a collection of wheelie bins.’
Dressed in jeans, trainers, a hooded sweatshirt and beanie hat, William went unrecognised as he laid a piece of cardboard down on the floor and climbed into his sleeping bag and the pair stayed out in temperatures as low as minus 4 degrees.
William, then 27, said in a statement afterwards: ‘I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London’s streets night after night.’
Yet he has continued in his efforts to engage with the experience of those living on the streets and over ten years later, he went undercover as a Big Issue seller on the streets of London.
He sold 32 copies of the magazine and wrote a candid essay explaining why he wanted to shine a light on the issue of homelessness for his 40th birthday, posing for a special edition of the publication.
Writing on his experience selling the magazine last year, William said: ‘People recognised a familiar face and were happy to give me the time of day. But that isn’t the case for the vast majority of Big Issue vendors…
‘And while I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I’m turning 40, even more than I have in the past.
He since made secret visits to homeless centres, helping prepare food and chatting to residents, as well as speaking publicly about the issue.
Prince William joined Big Issue vendor Dave Martin (right) to sell copies of the magazine in London last year
He sold 32 copies of the magazine and wrote a candid essay explaining why he wanted to shine a light on the issue of homelessness for his 40th birthday
Writing on his experience selling the magazine last year, William said: ‘People recognised a familiar face and were happy to give me the time of day. But that isn’t the case for the vast majority of Big Issue vendors…’
According to the Telegraph, the Prince is preparing to launch a homelessness project at the time of his 41st birthday and has discussed the issue in meetings with Sir Keir Starmer and Michael Gove.
He is previously also said to have been considering housing homeless people in properties owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, even before his father became King.
Working with charity Groundswell for a short film on BBC One for Red Nose Day, he spoke of his late mother, saying: ‘I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it than when she was interested and involved in it.’
The Prince of Wales has vowed to educate his children on the plight of homeless people, in the same way that he and his brother were taught by their own mother.
Speaking to Dame Mary Berry in 2019 for her Christmas special A Berry Royal Christmas, he said Prince George and Princess Charlotte would ask: ‘Why can’t they go home?’
He explained at the time: ‘On the school run already, bear in mind they’re six and four, whenever we see anyone who is sleeping rough on the streets, I talk about it and I point it out and I explain why and they’re all very interested. They’re like: “Why can’t they go home?”.’