Prince William isn’t one for paying lip service to social causes. It’s one thing to preach about being charitable, but it’s another matter entirely to put your money where your mouth is and lead by example.
Recently, the future king went undercover and took to the streets of London to help sell copies of The Big Issue — a publication whose aim is to help the homeless and those far less fortunate.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Future king takes to the streets of London to help the homeless.
Prince William is receiving high praise for donning a red seller’s vest with a matching cap to help sell copies of The Big Issue magazine.
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‘The Big Issue’ is a bi-monthly publication, sold on the streets by those who are combating homelessness and marginalization.
The magazine also helps those experiencing prolonged periods of unemployment and those looking to avoid going any further into debt.
The Duke of Cambridge wasn’t intending on drawing attention to himself, and very possibly would’ve gone unnoticed.
That is until the Prince was spotted standing on the corner by a family member of retired Metropolitan Police chief superintendent, Matthew Gardner.
Matthew explained via his own LinkedIn profile how his brother-in-law thought he’d spotted a celebrity and attempted to take a photo.
“The celebrity saw the ‘covert surveillance’ effort and crossed the road to investigate further,” Matthew explained in his post.
“What an honor to have a private moment with our future King who was humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy.”
Matthew further commended Prince William, pointing out how these “silent gestures” often go unnoticed.
Matthew said the highlight of his interaction came when Prince William asked his brother-in-law to buy a copy of the magazine.
Matthew’s brother-in-law regretfully informed William that he didn’t have any change. “At this point, William produced a mobile card machine ,” Matthew said. “You cannot teach that!”
The former police chief concluded his post by stating that William’s act of kindness wasn’t just priceless — it was princely.
This is far from the first time that Prince William has made his plight to help the homeless known.
Back when Prince William was still just a teenager, he spent the night sleeping on the streets of London.
The Duke did this in an effort to gain empathy as well as a better understanding of society’s less fortunate individuals.
Prince William has been a longtime supporter of Centrepointe — a charity aimed at helping homeless youths aged 16-25.
The Prince’s late mother, Princess Diana, was also a committed patron of Centrepointe . Thus proving that the royal apple doesn’t fall far from the regal tree.
The Royal Family’s penchant for helping those less fortunate is something that the Duke and Duchess aim to pass on to their children.
“Whenever we see someone who is sleeping rough on the street I talk about it and I point it out and I explain,” William told Mary Berry during the BBC’s A Berry Royal Christmas .
“And they are all very interested,” the Prince said. “They are like: ‘Why can’t they go home?'”
It’s often been said that the mark of a great monarch is measured by how it treats its weakest members. So long as Prince William and Duchess Catherine are around, the whole of the UK looks bright.
