Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, and her son Prince William visited The Passage in London, Britain, on December 14, 1993. – Reuters
Prince William reminisced about how his late mother, Princess Diana, took him to a shelter for homeless people when he was just 11 years old. He mentioned how the visit exposed him to the stark reality of different lifestyles. In a documentary extract about his mission to combat homelessness, which is set to air this week, the future king of Britain recounted how Diana introduced him and his younger brother, Prince Harry, to the cause as part of her broader efforts to raise awareness about social issues ranging from Aids to mental health.
"I had never been to such a place before, and I was somewhat nervous about what to expect. My mother, as usual, made everyone feel at ease with her humor and light-heartedness," William said about the 1993 visit to The Passage charity in London. In June of last year, the eldest son of King Charles launched a five-year initiative called "Homewards," inspired by his mother's legacy.
Homeless charities note that it is challenging to determine the exact number of people living on the streets, but recent statistics indicate that 178,560 households were assessed as homeless in England during 2023-24, marking a 12.3% increase from the previous year. William emphasized his commitment to helping those in need, viewing it as part of his royal duty. He recalled playing chess and engaging in conversations with the residents during his visit to The Passage.
"That experience made me realize that there are people out there living very different lives from mine," he says in the documentary. "As a child, you tend to think that life is just what you see around you. You don't really consider other possibilities. Meeting people who have lived through such hardships provides a new perspective and makes you understand that, for some, life can be very different."
The complete ITV documentary, titled "Prince William: We Can End Homelessness," will be broadcast on October 30 and 31.
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