Heir to the throne with a social cause William wants to end homelessness - not everyone likes it
William has been heir to the British throne for two years, but he is often overshadowed by his father Charles and wife Kate. To raise his profile, the grandson of Elizabeth II is focusing on a social issue.
06.09.2024, 06:51
06.09.2024, 07:10
dpa
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- Prince William has set himself an ambitious goal. The heir to the British throne wants to end homelessness.
- It is said that the 42-year-old is trying to raise his public profile with this social issue.
- Although his popularity ratings are high, William is often overshadowed by his father King Charles and his wife Princess Kate.
- Not everyone is impressed by Prince William's project. The anti-monarchy organization Republic even speaks of a PR campaign by the heir to the British throne.
Prince William could hardly have set himself a more ambitious goal. Ending homelessness - the elder son of King Charles III has set himself no less a goal.
His role model is Finland, which has drastically reduced homelessness in just a few years. This week, the 42-year-old visited a London gallery where paintings by artists affected by housing shortages are exhibited.
William is also using the social issue to raise his profile. He has been heir to the British throne since the death of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022 - almost exactly two years ago.
But although his popularity ratings are high, he is often overshadowed by his father King Charles III and his wife Princess Kate.
The issue of homelessness is close to William's heart
The exhibition in the Saatchi Gallery makes the scope and complexity of homelessness very clear, Kensington Palace announced in advance.
Visitors should engage with the stories of those who have experienced the problem themselves in order to better understand them.
The issue is clearly close to William's heart, as royals expert Craig Prescott says in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur. His mother Princess Diana took him to a homeless shelter when he was eleven years old.
"As a result, Prince William once spent a night on the street and was seen selling the homeless newspaper 'Big Issue'," said the constitutional lawyer from Royal Holloway University of London.
For just over a year, six pilot projects have been running in all parts of the UK through William's Royal Foundation.
"Homelessness is a complex social problem that affects the lives of far too many people in our society," said William on the anniversary of the launch. "However, I firmly believe that it can be brought to an end."
More than 300,000 people without shelter in England
In his Duchy of Cornwall, which William inherited from his father Charles when he became King, he has announced the construction of 24 shelters for those affected. In the fall, ITV plans to broadcast a documentary about William's efforts.
Homelessness is indeed one of the most pressing social problems in the UK. It is estimated that more than 300,000 people in England are without a permanent home, with almost 4,000 living on the streets in the largest part of the UK. Charities such as Shelter and Crisis are warning of an increase.
The reasons are complex: exploding living costs, higher rents, little affordable housing, low wages and insecure jobs, as well as flaws in the welfare system.
Just a clever PR coup by the prince?
Not everyone is impressed by Prince William's project. The anti-monarchy organization Republic speaks of a PR campaign by the heir to the British throne.
Their argument: if William were to give up his dukedom and leave the high income - for example from estates and luxury properties - to the government, this would be a much more powerful weapon against homelessness.
Expert Prescott, however, emphasizes that the numbers are low. But the construction of social housing on land owned by the Duke of Cornwall could certainly serve as a model.
Unlike other royals, William is aiming for concrete projects, says Prescott. In the near future, the Prince of Wales, as the heir to the throne is officially known, also wants to make an appearance in Wales, the part of the country that gives him his name. This could be another way of generating headlines.
Brother Harry makes more headlines
This is important for William, as he often seems a little boring compared to his busy father Charles and his glamorous wife Kate, who both made a cancer diagnosis public this year.
His younger brother Prince Harry also attracts more interest. Recently, some British tabloids speculated that the 39-year-old was fed up with life in the USA, where he emigrated a few years ago, and wanted to return to the UK.
Not an issue at all, according to other reports. But: Harry is the talk of the town, William less so.
This is also due to the broken relationship between the once inseparable brothers. Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan have made serious accusations against the Royal Family in interviews, books and TV documentaries.
William feels his family has been unfairly attacked. At the funeral of their uncle Robert Fellowes recently, the brothers stood just a few meters away, reported the Sun newspaper. But they did not speak to each other.
