George joins Prince William in preparing meal for homeless

The Prince of Wales has brought his 12-year-old son Prince George to help at a homeless shelter, so he can teach him about homelessness and show him the efforts of organisations trying to tackle it.

Prince William took his son to a charity with a deep personal connection – the Passage, in Westminster – where William had been brought as a child by his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

This handing on of the torch took place last week, with George helping to make lunch for people being supported by the Passage, which works with homeless people in central London.

Prince George signed a visitors’ book using the same page signed by William and his grandmother Diana in December 1993.

Mick Clarke, chief executive of the Passage, said Prince George had come when they were preparing Christmas lunch for 150 people.

“So it was really about, ‘Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in?’ And he very much was,” said Mr Clarke.

“Very much like his dad, actually – just wanted to get stuck in and help,” said the charity chief.

“A lovely kid is how I would describe him, and he just really seemed very interested in the work that we do and particularly in talking to people who have used our services,” said Mr Clarke.

There was some competition between father and son in getting the food ready.

“William was on the sprouts, getting his sprouts ready so they could go into the steamer, and Prince George was helping with the Yorkshire puddings,” said Mr Clarke.

He described the signing of the book with Princess Diana’s name as a “lovely, beautiful moment – I think particularly with Prince William pointing out to George, ‘This is my mum’s signature. This was the first time that she brought me here.’

“It kind of felt full circle, really – 1993 through to 2025, with William bringing George,” said Mr Clarke.

The charity head said it seemed as though Prince George’s family were trying to show their children life outside the palace and how it was important that “the most vulnerable in society are supported and looked after”.

And in terms of contrasts, the visit to the homelessness charity came on the same day as the annual Royal Family Christmas lunch in Buckingham Palace.

Prince William has been a supporter of the Passage since he was brought as an 11 year old by his mother, who had made regular visits, both public and private.

William is running his own campaign to tackle homelessness, Homewards, and he has described his early experience of visiting the Passage as an inspiration.

He remembered being anxious about his first visit with Princess Diana, but finding an unexpected warmth and happiness.

“My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed, and having a laugh and joking with everyone,” he said in an interview last year.

“I remember at the time, kind of thinking, well, if everyone’s not got a home, they’re all going to be really sad.

“But it was incredible how happy an environment it was,” recalled Prince William.

The Passage, which takes its ethos from the social reformer St Vincent de Paul, has been working in Westminster since 1980, and last year helped more than 3,000 people who were facing homelessness.

The charity says poverty is one of the main causes and “many people are just one bill away from experiencing homelessness”.

It also warns of risk factors such as addiction and substance abuse, mental health problems, domestic violence and traumatic events in families.

The Passage has also highlighted links between homelessness and people being exploited in human trafficking and modern slavery.