Prince William Reveals How His Kids Will Follow In Princess Diana's Footsteps
From her compassion for people with leprosy, to her unprecedented work to bring attention to how landmines affected the citizens of Angola to her dedication to shed light on those living with HIV and AIDS, Princess Diana was known as much for her beauty, poise and fashion sense as she was for her humanitarian efforts (via Biography).
Lesser known is how Diana also made it her mission to help homeless children and teenagers in her native country, with the Princess of Wales being appointed the royal patron of an organization called Centrepoint five years before her tragic death (via Express). Now, it is her son, Prince William, who carries on her duties with the cause that he has demonstrated is near and dear to his heart. William took over the patronage in 2005, but in so much more than name alone.
The Duke of Cambridge was first exposed to the mission of Centrepoint when he and his brother Prince Harry visited homeless shelters with their famous mom. And clearly the experience hasn't left the royal as he remains committed to the cause all these years later — and even hopes to pay forward what Diana did for him in opening his eyes to poverty.
Prince William has taken on surprising challenges to shed light on homelessness
In 2019, Prince William spoke about his commitment to the epidemic of homelessness at a fundraiser, saying, "Centrepoint was one of the first charities of which I became Patron, back in 2005." He went on to share how Princess Diana inspired him to support the organization, revealing, "I chose to do that because visiting Centrepoint's services with my mother made such a lasting impression on me as a child. And it still makes a lasting impression on me today" (via Vanity Fair).
This is not just lip service on behalf of a royal family member who lives in a palace. The dad of three previously slept on the streets in London to both bring awareness to homelessness and to experience the plight of the people he is aiming to help. He is now declaring that it's not enough for him to step up on behalf of the cause — William also feels strongly that his own children need to see how the other half lives.
Writing in The Big Issue, which is a magazine people who are homeless sell in the U.K., William noted his hopes for the future when it comes to exposing Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to the cause he feels so passionately about (via BBC).
Prince William makes a commitment for the future
Royal fans may recall that in early June, Prince William went incognito to sell The Big Issue on the streets of London (via BBC). Writing a piece for the publication in honor of his upcoming 40th birthday, the likely future king again recalled how Princess Diana opened his eyes
"Ever since I came here with my mother, homelessness has stuck with me as an issue I want to fight for," William wrote, adding he wants to do "do a lot more" to bring attention to homelessness.
The prince went on to write, "While I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling."
Looking ahead, William expressed that he aspires to introduce George, Charlotte and Louis to the organizations he works with and that have so inspired him. Finally, William acknowledged this design for his kids' future was very much inspired by how he was raised by Princess Diana.