LONDON (Reuters) – Prince William says one of his roles as Britain’s heir to the throne is to try to help people in need, as he explained his efforts to end homelessness in a documentary to be broadcast later this month.
Last June, William, 42, the elder son of King Charles, launched the five-year project “Homewards”, which he said was inspired by his late mother Princess Diana who had alerted him to the crisis when he was a child.
“I think everyone having a right to a safe and stable home benefits us all,” the royal says in an extract from the ITV documentary, “Prince William: We Can End Homelessness”, released on Wednesday.
“I come with no other agenda than desperately trying to help people who are in need, and I see that as part of my role.”
Critics have said it was hypocritical for someone with William’s wealth and many homes to be talking about battling the issue.
Asked whether he was the right person to lead the project, William said: “Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can. And I like a big challenge, I do like that, but I can’t do it on my own.”
When he launched Homewards, William said visits to homelessness shelters with his mother, the first when he was 11, had left a deep and lasting impression.
In 2009, he slept rough on a winter’s night to highlight the issue, and in 2022 he was spotted selling copies of the “Big Issue” magazine, a title that is normally sold by the homeless, on the streets of London.
His scheme works in six locations across the United Kingdom aiming to find and develop new solutions that could be used to ultimately end homelessness across the country.
William will also later on Wednesday help present awards for Centrepoint, a charity for homeless young people for which he is patron, recognising those who have turned round their lives after experiencing homelessness.
The documentary, which followed the prince’s work over a 12-month period, will be broadcast on Oct. 30 and 31.
(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
