Prince William: We Can End Homelessness: "I come with no other agenda than desperately trying to help people who are in need"
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The Prince of Wales is clearly someone who wants to make a difference – in 2020, he helped to launch the Earthshot Prize, which rewards individuals or organisations that have come up with sustainable solutions to environmental problems.
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Hide AdHowever, the title of his new two-part documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, will have raised a few eyebrows. While some cynics will suggest that the royals could start by handing over a palace or two, others will wonder what someone who grew up surrounded by such wealth and privilege really knows about the subject.
That’s something the documentary addresses head on. In a clip released by ITV1 in advance, it’s put to the Prince that people may question if he’s the right person to lead a major project on the issue.
He replies: “I think everyone having a right to a safe and stable home, it benefits us all.
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Hide Ad“I come with no other agenda than desperately trying to help people who are in need.
“And I see that as part of my role, is that, why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can? And I like a big challenge. I do like that, but I can’t do on my own.”
Prince William has also said that his interest in the project is also partly down to Diana, Princess of Wales. “I have taken some inspiration and guidance from what my mother did, particularly with homelessness.”
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Hide AdHe added: “I don’t believe we should be living with homelessness in the 21st century.”
Even the most dedicated republicans would probably agree with him there, but is it genuinely possible to bring a permanent end to such a complex problem?
This documentary hopes to show that it is, as it follows the work of the Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme, a five-year project which aims to demonstrate that homelessness can be ended and challenge perceptions about rough sleeping.
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Hide AdIt follows the first year of Homewards as it works with six locations across the UK, bringing together organisations and individuals to find local solutions to homelessness. Cameras are given unique access to the Prince as he confronts the full scale of the crisis and recruits his team.
The programmes also features the stories of people who are facing homelessness and have previous lived experience of it.
And it’s hoped that the TV show itself can play a part. Amanda Berry, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Foundation, says: “We know that television has the power to change hearts and minds. Homelessness can seem like it is hard to prevent but by sharing the realities of people’s experiences and those who are coming together to support them, we can inspire action.
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Hide Ad“This two-part documentary will help raise vital awareness and demonstrate that, by working together, it is possible to end homelessness.”
The concluding episode can be seen on Thursday, when they cynics might like to note sees the Prince unveiling plans to build an ambitious supported-housing project on his own land in Cornwall.