Prince William reveals how George and Charlotte reacted when he told them about homelessness during their school career

PRINCE William has told how his two older children were shocked into silence when he decided to explain homelessness to them during the school run.

William said George, 11, and Charlotte, 9, were lost in thought as he spoke to them when they saw people sleeping in London.

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The future king, who along with brother Harry at the same age, was introduced to the issue by mother Princess Diana, will reveal the poignant moment in a two-part ITV documentary later this week.

When asked when he would bring up the subject, he says: “I’ll probably do it during the school run.

“The first few times I thought, ‘Am I bringing this up? Or should I wait and see if any of them notice?’. And sure enough, they did.

“They were just kind of quiet after I told them what was going on.

“I see the brain working on this and trying to figure out what that means.

“And I think it’s really important that you start those conversations when the kids are little, so that they understand the world around them, and not just live in their own little world.”

ITVs Prince William: We Can End Homelessness follows the first year of its Homewards programme, a five-year initiative that aims to make homelessness in all forms and in six target areas ‘rare, brief and unrepeated’.

He says: “The ultimate ambition is to prove that homelessness is a solvable and preventable problem, and that it doesn’t have to be as big or as bad as it is now.”

Wills says he learned from it Diana and believes she would be “proud of what I do.”

She introduced her sons homelessness by taking them to The Passage, a shelter in London’s Westminster, and involving them in charity work Center.

William released never-before-seen photos for the documentary of visits in 1993, one of which he holds Christmas presents and another poses in a kitchen.

He returns to The Passage, of which he is a patron, in the program to once again help with the Christmas meals.

He makes a rare reference to his brother’s name, saying, “My mother took me to The Passage.

‘She took Harry and me both there.

“I was maybe about eleven at the time, I think. Maybe ten.

“I had never been to anything like this before. And I was a little worried about what to expect.

“My mother did her usual job of making sure everyone was relaxed and laughing.

My mother took me to The Passage. I had never been to anything like this before. And I was a little worried about what to expect.

Prince William

“I remember thinking at the time, ‘well, if everyone doesn’t have a house, they’ll all be very sad’.

“But it was unbelievable how happy the environment was.

“I remember playing chess and talking, and then it dawned on me that there are other people who don’t live the same lives as you.”

He continues: “I don’t believe we have to live with homelessness in the 21st century.

“I don’t just want to talk about it.

“I don’t just want to listen.

“I actually want to see someone smile because their life has gotten better.”

He also hits back at critics who say he is too rich for the job and that the role is too political.

He says, “I have no agenda other than desperately trying to help those in need.

“I see that as part of my role.

“Why else would I be here if I don’t use my role well to influence and help?”

I don’t believe we have to live with homelessness in the 21st century. I don’t want to just talk about it. I don’t just want to listen. I actually want to see someone smile because their life has gotten better

Prince William

Seyi Obakin, CEO of Centrepoint, added: “I would rather have a prince who lives in a palace and cares about homelessness and does something about it than someone who is aloof.”

Homewards focuses on projects in Lambeth, South London; Newport, South Wales; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in Dorset; Aberdeen; Sheffield and Northern Ireland.

They all have high homelessness rates and Wills wants to focus on this to create a model that other regions can learn from.

The documentary features initiatives he supports and details a 24-home project he is building in Newquay, Cornwall.

He adds: “At some point you have to put your hand in your pocket and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to build a whole project around this and we’re actually going to do something that’s going to make a difference. for human lives.”

• PRINCE William: We Can End Homelessness airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, STV and STV Player.