Prince William serves Christmas lunch at homeless shelter previously visited with Princess Diana

Prince William, the Prince of Wales, recently served Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter, an establishment he initially visited alongside his mother. Prince William has previously recounted the significant influence of his childhood visits to The Passage, noting how these experiences broadened his perspective “outside the palace walls”. His initial visit to the London-based homelessness charity occurred over 30 years ago, accompanied by his mother, Princess Diana. This past Thursday, he participated in serving lunch, distributing items such as carrots and parsnips alongside numerous other volunteers, engaging in conversations with the attendees. A video shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s X account on Sunday depicted him embracing Claudette Hawkins, the charity’s head chef, and stating, “Come on birthday girl… I won’t ask you what birthday it is”. Ms Hawkins was subsequently shown explaining that “he was helping serve the lunch for the clients today”. Additionally, William was observed congratulating a client on his recent engagement. The individual, dressed in a Boston Celtics basketball team Christmas jumper, inquired of William, “have you heard, I’m getting married?” The Prince of Wales smiled and replied, “I know, I did hear about that, and congratulations.” The charity, situated in Westminster, offers support and companionship to London’s homeless population, aiding them in securing stable housing. During an ITV documentary broadcast earlier this year, William stated that “inspiration and guidance” from Diana served as a primary motivator for his personal dedication to addressing homelessness. He also recounted his initial visit to The Passage with his mother, an experience that involved playing chess and conversing with individuals at the shelter. “I must have been about 11, I think, probably, at the time. Maybe 10. I’d never been to anything like that before. And I was a bit anxious as to what to expect,” he stated. “I remember at the time, kind of thinking, well, if everyone’s not got a home, they’re all going to be really sad.” He continued, “But it was incredible how happy an environment it was.” He added, “That’s when it dawned on me that there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do.” Within the documentary, William acknowledged experiencing guilt at times over his inability to do more, expressing a desire to instill in his own children a similar sense of empathy for individuals encountering adversity. The prince remarked, “When I was very small, my mother started talking about homelessness, much like I do now with my children on the school run.” The prince has maintained his visits to the charity over the course of his life and was appointed its official patron in 2019.