The Prince of Wales has insisted he has “no other agenda” than “desperately trying to help” people in need through his drive to tackle homelessness.
William, in a newly-released clip from a forthcoming ITV documentary about his ambitious Homewards initiative, described how he views his royal role as attempting to influence and help where he can.
The future king was quizzed about critics who might question whether he is the right person to lead the project, which is designed to eradicate homelessness in six locations around the UK.
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William during a visit to the East Belfast Mission at the Skainos Centre, Belfast, as part of his tour of the UK last year to launch Homewards (Liam McBurney/PA)
The interviewer asked: “There will be some people who might question whether you’re the right person to lead this project and its efforts to end homelessness. How would you respond to that?”
William replied: “I think everyone having a right to a safe and stable home benefits us all.
“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?”
William himself has several homes – his main home Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, as well as his Anmer Hall mansion in Norfolk and Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace in London.
As heir to the throne, he inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate – a portfolio of land, property and investments valued at more than £1 billion – when his father became King, and the prince is entitled to its annual £23 million profits as his private income.
He previously announced plans to build houses on Duchy land to tackle homelessness, with 24 homes in Nansledan, Newquay, alongside “wrap-around support” for local people to create a path to a permanent home.
In the brief clip, the prince described how he liked a “big challenge” but needed support to combat homelessness.
“And I like a big challenge, I do like that, but I can’t do it on my own,” he said.
The prince was followed for the Prince William: We Can End Homelessness programme during the first year of his Homewards initiative.
The campaign is a major long-term focus for William, who has told how visiting shelters with his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales as a child left a deep and lasting impression and inspired his work.
Homewards aims to develop a blueprint for eradicating homelessness in all its forms, “making it rare, brief and unrepeated”.
Six Homewards locations were chosen – Newport, Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen, Sheffield and three neighbouring Dorset towns, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch – with the aim of delivering bespoke solutions to issues in each area.
The documentary will be broadcast on October 30 and 31 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, STV and STV Player.
