Britain's Prince William Says He is 'Here to Help' People in Need

Prince William talks with young people next to Seyi Obakin, Chief Executive of Centrepoint at the Centrepoint Awards © REUTERS/Hollie Adams/Pool

Britain's Prince William Says He is 'Here to Help' People in Need

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, which was broadcast on October 30th.

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 said in an extract from the ITV documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness.

"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."

In the documentary, William is shown talking with football player Fara Williams, 40, who experienced homelessness for six years.

He is seen telling her: “You played for England and Chelsea whilst you were homeless.

“I don’t believe we should be living with homelessness in the 21st century.”

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.

William also helped to present awards for Centrepoint, a charity for homeless young people for which he is a patron, recognizing those who have turned their lives around after experiencing homelessness.

His organization 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.

The documentary follows Homewards in its first 12 months of operation, which was launched by The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, with an ambitious mission to make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated” within the next five years.

“It’s a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together, it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated," he said. "I am very much looking forward to working with our six locations to make our ambition a reality."

(Source: Reuters)