Can homelessness be ended? Prince William says yes — and he's trying to get others to help
Coalitions come together in 6 U.K. communities as part of Prince of Wales's initiative
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He apologized for his raspy voice — a result of cheering on England the night before as it captured a spot in Sunday's Euros 2024 soccer final — but Prince William was firm Thursday in his ongoing effort to promote a cause he has put at the heart of his philanthropic endeavours.
"Homelessness is a complex societal issue, and one that touches the lives of far too many people in our society," he said.
"However, I truly believe that it can be ended."
William was speaking at an event in London to mark the first anniversary of his Homewards initiative. The five-year program launched in 2023 by the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales aims to show that through coalitions of local organizations and charities working together, it's possible to end homelessness, "making it rare, brief and unrepeated."
William's interest in the issue is longstanding — his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, took him to a shelter as a child. He has been patron of Centrepoint, a charity that focuses on ending youth homelessness, since 2005.
There's no doubt it's a significant problem. Data shows Britain has the worst rate of homelessness in the developed world, and it has become worse since 2010.
William's interest also reflects the way in which he and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, have concentrated their philanthropic efforts, seeking to draw people together to work in a limited number of areas — early childhood development, conservation and mental health among them — rather than cast a wider net on a larger range of issues.
"This is what they've done through the Royal Foundation — to focus on one or two particular causes and really try and drive some work and activity in that area. And in a sense, homelessness was a natural choice," said Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert and lecturer in law at Royal Holloway, University of London, in an interview.
In trying to draw people together in such a way, there is precedent, as William's father, King Charles, when Prince of Wales, also tried to bring people together to tackle issues of the day.
"In a sense [William is] following on from his father and using the convening power … to get different agencies and organizations who are involved in homelessness talking to one another and coming up with solutions," Prescott said.
"If there's some take-up from central government, then great. But it's something for them to take up rather than for William to tell them to do it."
It would become problematic if a royal were seen to be urging politicians to take specific actions.
Prescott noted that Diana was criticized for appearing on stage with a Labour Party politician and saying something must be done about homelessness.
"This was criticized for being political, and in a political sort of context as well. She was on the platform with politicians, and I think that's one clue that I don't think we'll be seeing many politicians at these events, if any, I would imagine."
Even royal involvement with an issue such as homelessness has drawn criticism.
The anti-monarchy group Republic has often spoken out against William's actions.
"The monarchy represents and helps to perpetuate the very inequality that causes the housing crisis to persist. William is part of the problem, and his efforts at promoting himself through limited involvement in homelessness charities needs to stop," Republic CEO Graham Smith said earlier this year, when plans were announced to build homes for homeless people on William's Duchy of Cornwall estate in southwestern England.
"Rather than be thankful for a few homes built on Duchy land, which William will profit from, we all need to be demanding the return of the Duchy to full public ownership and an end to the monarchy."
Royal interest in social issues around housing and homelessness has a long history.
Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, was the first president of the Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes. Through Albert's patronage, the society showed model housing for the working classes at the Great Exhibition of 1851.
"It's not unprecedented. Even Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, was a member of two royal commissions, one on the housing of the poor and the other one on the treatment of the elderly," said Bob Morris, a member of the honorary staff of the constitution unit at University College London, in an interview.
"He attended pretty regularly and when his turn came, asked some sharp and well-informed questions and signed at least one of the royal commission reports, if not the other."
William's Homewards initiative has been working in six U.K. locations to form local coalitions.
"Homewards has already established strong foundations, forming wide-ranging local groups of organizations and individuals and focusing minds on measures to prevent people from becoming homeless," Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, a charity for people experiencing homelessness and a partner in the Homewards initiative, said in a release.
"Crucially, Homewards has sought to put people with lived experience at the heart of its work."
Still, William acknowledged Thursday there is a long road ahead.
"I created Homewards because I wanted us to look at the issue of homelessness through a different lens: to inspire a movement to prevent people from ever experiencing homelessness in the first place," he said.
"I know this will take a huge effort. And I know that demonstrating that homelessness is not an inevitable part of our society will take time."
But in the year since Homewards was set up, he said there has been "an incredible amount of work done" to build foundations for success.
"Coalitions have been built, bringing together over 500 individuals and organizations who are setting ambitious priorities and co-developing new ways of addressing homelessness that are local, relevant and collaborative — something that has never been done before on this scale," he said.
"Already, a pipeline of nearly 100 homes is being established through the innovative housing projects which will be developed in each location — and believe me — my ambitions alone mean there will be so many more."
He said there is a lot more work to do.
"The energy and enthusiasm that each individual and organization is bringing to the program, and to showing that it is possible to end homelessness in their local area, is inspiring and I know, together, we can do this."
Here comes another prime minister
In Queen Elizabeth's 70 years as monarch, she saw 15 British prime ministers come and go from their weekly audiences with her.
Less than two years into his reign, King Charles is now on to his third prime minister, after the British election on July 4 saw the Labour Party trounce Rishi Sunak's Conservatives. (Sunak's predecessor, Liz Truss, lasted a mere 49 days as PM.)
Labour Leader Keir Starmer made the traditional post-election trip to meet the monarch on July 5, and in a ceremony known in palace parlance as the "kissing of hands," officially became prime minister.
"You must be utterly exhausted and nearly on your knees," Charles said, in a short video clip the Royal Family posted to YouTube of the moment the King welcomed Starmer to the palace.
"Not much sleep," Starmer replied.
"Anyway, you're here," Charles said.
"It's a very, sort of, quick changeover, isn't it?" said Starmer.
"To say the least. And having to get to grips with everything straight away must be quite exhausting," the King said.
The video offered a rare glimpse of a monarch and the prime minister chatting with one another at Buckingham Palace, and stands in stark contrast to what is publicly known about what is said during the regular weekly audiences.
"No notes are taken of that," Morris said. "We don't know what goes on in those meetings, but it's been valued by prime ministers in the past because you're talking to a [person] who is not your political competitor and you can unburden yourself a bit."
Some media attention in recent days dusted off details of Starmer as a younger man calling for the abolition of the monarchy.
Starmer has reportedly described that as a youthful indiscretion, and since then has, as Morris noted, accepted a knighthood (from Charles in 2014).
"You will certainly not find anything in the Labour manifesto about abolition of the monarchy," Morris said.
Speculation swirled throughout Elizabeth's reign about how she and her prime ministers got along, and which ones were more — or less — in royal favour.
"As Queen Elizabeth matured, then of course she had things that she could say from our own experience to prime ministers…. She tended to be keener on the Commonwealth than her prime ministers," Morris said. "There were some occasions when she clashed with a prime minister, but usually found a way of circumventing them."
But arguably, said Prescott, it's in the monarchy's interest to be on good terms with the prime minister of the day.
"I think you … saw where the prime minister could be useful to the monarchy in those days after the death of Princess Diana, where it was people from Downing Street … as well as [Prime Minister Tony] Blair himself, who moved things on in that week …. and when perhaps the Queen, for good reason, sort of wasn't playing her role as head of nation, to some extent, Blair stepped in, but then realized that there was stuff that the Queen had to do and advised her accordingly.
"So I think it shows you how it sort of goes both ways, the relationship between the prime minister and the monarch."
Elizabeth was heavily criticized for not responding publicly immediately after Diana's death, but days later did deliver a heartfelt speech on TV, expressing admiration for her former daughter-in-law.
Prescott will also be watching for any signals Starmer's government may send via King Charles and the Royal Family when it comes to foreign policy, particularly around state and official visits.
"You might see a reorientation of that. It was very clear that the Conservative government used the Royal Family with more state visits in Europe post-Brexit," he said.
"And of course the King's first visits were to France and Germany, which was a very clear signal."
Next Wednesday, however, will see Charles taking part in a significant ceremony much closer to home: the state opening of the new Parliament.
He will deliver the King's Speech, which will outline the policies and proposed legislation from Starmer's government for the next session of Parliament.
Princess Anne returns
Princess Anne returned to public duties on Friday, nearly three weeks after she suffered a head injury at her estate in western England.
Anne, an avid equestrian and longtime patron of the Riding for the Disabled Association, visited the group's national championships, which took place not far from her home.
Michael Bishop, RDA's chief executive, said the organization was "delighted that she has chosen to join us as she returns to royal duties."
Anne, 73, became the group's patron in 1971, and its president in 1986.
King Charles's sister spent five nights in hospital after suffering a head injury on June 23. The exact cause of the injury was unconfirmed, but her medical team said the injuries were consistent with the potential impact from a horse's head and legs.
The injury led Anne to cancel a planned trip to Canada that was to begin on June 30 and include a ceremony to commemorate the centennial of the Newfoundland National War Memorial in St. John's.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon read a message on Anne's behalf that described her "deep regret" at being unable to attend.
The visit would have been Anne's second to Canada within a matter of weeks. In early May, she was in British Columbia, where her engagements included time with the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association.
— With files from CBC News
Royally quotable
"It's a bit of nostalgia for me."
— Prince William, during a visit to the air base where he served in the Royal Air Force between 2010 and 2013.
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