Prince William plans to honor his late mother, Princess Diana, on her birthday by continuing the humanitarian work that caused her so much joy. The Prince of Wales will mark the day determined to carry on the legacy of compassion and service that defined Diana’s life.
On July 1, Diana would have turned 64. William, who was greatly influenced by his mother’s philanthropic work, will mark the day to mark the second anniversary of his Homewards initiative to end homelessness.
According to a report by GB News, William will highlight the progress of his homelessness initiative now underway in six areas across the UK. Homewards’ goal is to ensure that homelessness becomes a rare, short-term, and non-recurring experience for those affected.
This initiative builds on Princess Diana’s legacy with charities like Centrepoint and The Passage, which also addressed the same issue. Diana first introduced William and Prince Harry to those affected by homelessness when William was just 11, igniting a passion that shaped his life’s work.
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“I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother when I was 11,” William shared in an ITV video. “The visits we made together made a deep and lasting impression.”
“My mother took me and Harry to The Passage. I’d never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect. I remember playing chess and having some good conversations and chatting,” the prince continued.
He concluded, “That’s when it dawned on me there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do. When you’re small, life is what you see in front of you.”
Ahead of his visit, Prince William shared an open letter to the organization. He commended their progress and urged continued momentum for the cause, per GB News.
“Your experiences are what makes Homewards unique and powerful,” William wrote. “We have the ability to harness our collective capabilities, expertise, and resources towards this common cause. I am immensely proud to say that your collective effort has already allowed us to achieve lasting impact.”
Additionally, William shared a mission statement on Homewards’ webpage, explaining the organization “aims to give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented by showing them the progress we can make when we collaborate.”
“It’s a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together, it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated, and I am very much looking forward to making our ambition a reality.”
Prince William first launched Homewards in 2023. It is one of the programs supported by the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
