Princess Diana and Prince William visit The Passage in London in 1993. (Reuters: The Passage)
In short:
Prince William has recalled how his late mother Princess Diana took him to a shelter for homeless people when he was just 11 years old.
Last June the prince launched a five-year project called Homewards, which he said was inspired by his mother.
Prince William says his late mother Princess Diana opened his eyes to how others lived a different life to him when she took him to a homeless shelter as an 11-year-old.
In an upcoming documentary, Prince William says his mother introduced him and his younger brother Prince Harry to the issue of homelessness as part of her efforts to raise wider awareness of social issues.
Prince William says his visit to The Passage changed his perspective. (Reuters: The Passage)
“I’d never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect,” he said.
“My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed and having a laugh and joking with everyone.”
The prince launched a five-year project called Homewards last June, which he said was inspired by Diana.
Recently released statistics showed about 178,560 households were considered homeless in England in 2023 to 2024, up 12 per cent on the year before.
Prince William said he was “desperately trying to help people” who were in need because it was “part of his role”.
He recalled playing chess and chatting with people during his 1993 visit to The Passage homelessness shelter.
“That’s when it informed me that there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do,” he said in the documentary.
“When you’re quite small … you just think life is what you see in front of you. You don’t really have concept to look elsewhere.
“And it’s when you meet people that I did then who put a different perspective in your head and say, … ‘I was living on the street last night.'”
