Prince William recently reflected on a memorable childhood experience he shared with his younger brother, Prince Harry, during his documentary “Prince William: We Can End Homelessness.”
In a segment released, he explained how his awareness of homelessness began after his late mother, Princess Diana, introduced both boys to The Passage, a charity in the UK that aids those facing homelessness.
William recalled that he was around 10 or 11 when Princess Diana took him and Harry to visit the charity. It was his first encounter with such an environment, and he admitted feeling uncertain about what to expect.
He remembered Diana’s calm and engaging manner, describing how she effortlessly interacted with everyone.
“My mother went about her usual, making everyone feel relaxed, having a laugh and joking with everyone. I remember at the time kind of thinking, ‘Well, if everyone doesn’t have a home, they’re all going to be really sad.’ But it was incredible how happy an environment it was,” William said.
He reflected on his meaningful conversations, recalling moments of playing chess and chatting with people at the shelter. Then, he said, he started to realise that many people lead lives very different from his own.
He spoke of how, as a child, it was natural to believe that everyone’s experiences mirrored his own, and meeting people at the shelter opened his eyes to other realities.
“When you’re quite small, you just think life is what you see in front of you and you don’t really have concept to look elsewhere. It’s when you meet people, as I did then, who put a different perspective in your head and say, ‘Well, I was living on the street last night,’ and you’re like, ‘Woah.’ I remember that happening,” William said.
This is the first time the Prince of Wales publicly referred to his estranged brother, Harry. The relationship between the two has reportedly been sour. Some even say it has reached a stage where any chance of reconciliation seems distant.
It was earlier reported that William would never forgive his brother. The Duke of Sussex won’t be invited when William becomes the king, the report added.
