Prince William has stated that the influence of his late mother Princess Diana has been a key driver in his commitment to tackle homelessness. In a forthcoming ITV documentary, the prince discusses how his mother’s passion and empathy towards the issue ignited his own interest in helping those in need. He highlighted how childhood visits with Princess Diana to The Passage homelessness shelter allowed him to see life outside the palace walls.
The Prince has expressed regret about being unable to do more and revealed his desire to share empathy with his own children towards those experiencing hardship. He recalled how his mother spoke about homelessness when he was young. The documentary explores how the prince’s passion project, the Homewards initiative, draws on his long-term support of The Passage charity, which provides assistance to London’s homeless population. Homewards aims to eradicate homelessness across the UK, taking inspiration from the Finnish approach of providing secure accommodation and support to people to prevent homelessness.
The prince first visited The Passage as a 10 to 11-year-old child with his mother Princess Diana. He recalls feeling anxious about what to expect but was amazed by the happy environment at the shelter. Since becoming the charity’s patron in 2019, he has continued to visit publicly and privately throughout his life. The documentary shows him serving meals and clearing up at The Passage’s Christmas dinner. The prince is also seen being directed by the charity’s head chef, Claudette Dawkins.
Lord John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, praised Prince William’s commitment to tackling homelessness. He said that Princess Diana was probably the only personality to highlight the issue and that her son had continued her legacy. The documentary Prince William: We Can End Homelessness airs from 30 to 31 October on ITV1
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