Tuesday, July 1 would have been Princess Diana's 64th birthday, and Prince William spent the day highlighting a cause close to his late mother's heart. The Prince of Wales was greeted by wild cheers as he arrived in Sheffield to mark the two-year anniversary of his Homewards program, which aims to eliminate homelessness in the U.K, "making it rare, brief and unrepeated."
Diana worked tirelessly on homelessness charities, and the Prince of Wales has inherited her passion to help the unhoused. William—who visited Meadowhead Secondary School to see the impact of a new early intervention program—received a warm welcome by crowds of students and local families. In a clip shared on X by Hits Radio South Yorkshire, the crowd waved flags and screamed like they were at a One Direction concert as the future King's car pulled up to the school.
Per Kensington Palace, the school's new initiative identifies young people who may be at risk of homelessness and provides prevention support, and William attended a class as well as shaking hands and meeting students to a raucous reception outside.
The prince also attended a special event to celebrate the two-year anniversary of Homewards. Sitting on stage with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Dragon's Den entrepreneur Stephen Bartlett, Prince William stated that he wanted to help people who have been "screwed by society."
The Prince of Wales also announced a new partnership with Brown's charity Multibank, which helps people get back on their feet after homelessness by providing essentials like clothing and toiletries. The event brought together representatives from across the Homewards program's six flagship locations in the U.K., with the initiative reporting that more than 100 initiatives are currently in place to tackle homelessness.
"Homelessness is about housing, but it's not just about housing," William said. "We have to ask people their problems, find out what has brought them to such a situation."
He continued that once people are "at an age when you’re already past your education or training opportunities, you are literally screwed by society unless somebody comes along and says I'll give you a chance and an opportunity."
