Prince William has taken Prince George to a homelessness project for the first time, with father and son helping to prepare its annual Christmas lunch.
William and George made a surprise visit to The Passage in Victoria, London, on Tuesday morning, an organisation that the Prince of Wales visited with his mother, Princess Diana, when he was a child.
In a video and photographs released by Kensington Palace, they can be seen dressed in aprons, joining in with lunch preparations with head chef Claudette.
They also helped to pack care packages, made cupcakes and decorated a Christmas tree that had previously stood in Westminster Abbey for the Princess of Wales’s Together at Christmas carol service.
The Passage’s chief executive, Mick Clarke, who showed the royals around, said George was asking lots of questions “very much like his dad”, adding: “Prince William has often talked about, during his childhood, how his mother talked about – I think as he described – the importance of viewing life beyond palace walls.
“And I very much picked that up with George as well. And it seemed to me that this was, or is, a family that are just trying to ensure that their children are brought up with greater awareness of what is around them and the need to ensure that, particularly, the most vulnerable in society are supported and looked after.
“I think George was genuinely moved to experience the work that we do, even just a little snapshot of it.”
The Passage holds a deep personal significance for the Prince of Wales. His mother brought him to see the charity’s work when he was 11 years old.
He often talks about how it was an experience that helped inspire his commitment to tackling homelessness and the creation of Homewards, the programme he launched in 2023 that he hopes will show that it is possible to end homelessness.
During the visit, George signed the visitors’ book on the same page previously signed by his father and his late grandmother on 14 December 1993.
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A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “It was important to the Prince of Wales to share with Prince George the work of The Passage and to spend time volunteering alongside the team.
“They both greatly enjoyed meeting staff, volunteers and service users as well as learning more about the charity’s work.
“The dedication shown not only by The Passage but by organisations across the homelessness sector, at Christmas and throughout the year, is invaluable.”
It also highlights his desire more generally to educate all his children about homelessness. William and George also spent time meeting some of The Passage’s service users, whom the Prince of Wales had met before, hearing about their experiences and the support they receive.
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Talking about that meeting, Mr Clarke said: “Sarah and Brian first used The Passage many, many years ago, and for many years now have been safely off the streets and in their own accommodation.
“But like most of us, we know it’s not ending there – just having a roof over your head. It’s about having support networks around you.
“So they come back and use our art group. They come back and use the Irish group. And it was really genuinely very moving – firstly for William to introduce George to Brian and Sarah, and then for Brian and Sarah to explain their story.
“As Sarah beautifully put it, ‘Christmas time is a time for family. We don’t have any family, so The Passage is our family’. And that was deeply moving to hear.”
