Prince William has brought a touch of holiday joy to London’s homeless by assisting in the preparation and serving of Christmas dinner at a shelter operated by a charity he came to know through his beloved mother.
Sporting one of the charity’s aprons, the Prince of Wales eagerly served what seemed to be carrots and parsnips to a queue of guests at The Passage shelter, which he first visited with Diana, Princess of Wales, back in 1993.
A video shared on the Wales X account on Sunday featured him embracing head chef Claudette Hawkins and cheerfully stating, “Come on birthday girl, happy birthday! I won’t pry about which birthday it is.”
Prince William and Princess Diana at The Passage in London in 1993. Pic: Rex Features
The prince, aged 42, shared laughs with Ms. Hawkins, who described the royal’s role as “helping to serve lunch for the clients today, their Christmas meal.”
A patron donning a Boston Celtics festive sweater inquired whether the prince had heard of his upcoming marriage, to which William responded: “Yes, I have heard about that, and congratulations to you.”
William additionally engaged in conversations with individuals at the dining tables during Thursday’s visit, asking one gentleman, “Is this place providing enough support?” and nodding affirmatively as he answered.
The visit three decades ago was one of many such engagements he undertook with his mother during his childhood, which he has expressed left a profound and enduring impact on him, motivating his mission to eliminate homelessness in the UK.
In an ITV1 and ITVX documentary released this October, he reminisced about playing chess and conversing with attendees during his initial visit to The Passage at the age of 11.
Prince William: We Can End Homelessness showcased the inaugural year of his Homewards initiative, which aspires to pave the way for eradicating homelessness in all its forms.
Over the past year, the Homewards teams in six UK locations – Newport, Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen, Sheffield, and three neighboring Dorset towns: Poole, Bournemouth, and Christchurch – have been fostering collaboration among the public, private, and third sectors.
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In a statement shared alongside the video, Kensington Palace expressed: “A heartfelt thank you to all the @passagecharity volunteers who are tirelessly working to assist those facing homelessness, particularly during this festive period.
“Acts of generosity, such as serving Christmas meals, foster hope and cultivate a sense of community for those in greatest need.”
