- Prince William admitted in part two of his Prince William: We Can End Homelessness documentary that he was “nervous about the challenge and scale of what we’re going to do” surrounding ending homelessness in the U.K.
- The Prince of Wales launched his Homewards initiative in June 2023, and his two-part docuseries follows the program’s first year of its five-year plan to eradicate homelessness
- He also admitted that his late mother, Princess Diana — who inspired Prince William’s work surrounding the issue — “would’ve thought I was probably mad” when it came to tackling the challenge
When it comes to eradicating homelessness, Prince William won’t accept the status quo.
In part two of his two-part docuseries Prince William: We Can End Homelessness — which aired on Oct. 30 and 31 in the U.K. on ITV — the Prince of Wales, 42, said that “there has to be a better way than just accepting that homelessness is there and we just live with it.”
“I don’t believe that, and I don’t — I won’t accept that,” he continued.
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As he did in part one, he heavily referenced his late mother, Princess Diana, who inspired his work on this issue by taking him and Prince Harry to a homeless shelter when the two were young boys. Prince William admitted that his mother — who died following a Paris car accident on Aug. 31, 1997, when William was 15 years old — “would’ve thought I was probably mad to start off Homewards,” his five-year plan to eliminate homelessness in the U.K. that he launched in June 2023. Prince William: We Can End Homelessness follows Homewards’ first year in existence.
“What I want to see, and I think she would want to see, is action and movement and change,” William said of his mother and the work he’s doing to combat homelessness. “You know, my mother introduced me to homelessness a long time ago, and it’s something that had a deep resonation with me. Not just because of the moments I had, but because of the connection I felt. And I know that sounds weird, but when you feel human connection with somebody who’s been in deep trouble, I challenge anyone not to feel a desire to help.”
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Though the Prince of Wales said in part one that he was around 10 or 11 years old when Princess Diana took him and Prince Harry to a homeless shelter for the first time, he said in part two that he first began discussing the issue with his mother when “I was very small. I think probably I must have been 8 or 9, I think. And my mother started talking about homelessness, so I was probably on the school run. And I remember at the time asking questions as to why, how, who is that? Well, why they’re sitting there? You know, when you’re that small, you’re just curious and kind of trying to work out what’s going on.”
The prince spoke in part one and in previous interviews about talking to his own children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, about homelessness while they’re on the school run up to the present day.
In the documentary, Prince William said, of his work to end homelessness, “I think I’m feeling optimistic. I’m feeling enthusiastic. I’m nervous about the challenge and scale of what we’re going to do, and last thing you want to do is start something that you can’t finish.”
“I’m not sitting here saying I’m going to sort of, you know, solve the entire world’s homelessness problems. But I am going to show people how to prevent homelessness,” he added. “Providing high-quality temporary accommodation that will lead on a pathway to more permanent accommodation, allowing people to thrive, prosper, rebuild their lives and go on to be a part of community and feel like they belong somewhere. And that is crucial.”
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With six locations targeted as part of the ambitious initiative, a key cornerstone of William’s work as a royal.
“Homewards is challenging the theory that we can’t do anything about homelessness,” he said in the film. “There is definitely something we can do, and we need the business community to be engaged and go, ‘Do you know what, on my doorstep, this is actually happening.’ And it’s good for the community, but it’s also good for business, and it’s good for my business to do something about it.”
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Lainey Port, 21, is interviewed for the documentary and said of Prince William, “He ain’t never had it hard in his life, you know. Like, he’s never had to choose between a washing machine or food for the night. But I think he knows enough.”
“And even, you know, if he can’t maybe end homelessness everywhere, he can change people’s attitudes towards the people that are homeless.”
Prince William: We Can End Homelessness will be available on Disney+ in the U.S. beginning on Nov. 1.
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