The Childhood Moment For Prince William That Shaped His Goals As A Working Royal

The British royal family has consistently made international headlines, and garnered more media coverage, than perhaps any other monarchy in the world. Much of that was due to the rising popularity of family members, including William, Prince of Wales. The oldest son of King Charles III, William is his heir and is next in line for the throne. Much of William's overall popularity is also likely due to his late mother, Princess Diana.

William spoke about his mother in the two-part documentary "Prince William: We Can End Homelessness," which aired on U.K. television in late October 2024. In the doc, William recalled the time Diana took him and his brother Prince Harry to the Passage, an organization working to prevent homelessness in England. Diana's sons were both under the age of 12, and the memory of the visit remained with William years after the fact.

"I remember having some good conversations just playing chess and chatting," he said (via People), "and that's when it dawned on me that there are other people out there who don't have the same life as you do." William also said that his mother focused on showing him and Harry what the outside world was really like, apart from the privileged world they lived in. The future king does the same to keep his children from growing up out of touch.

Much like her son Prince William, Princess Diana used her status for good. She was known for her charity work and for bringing attention to the homeless situation in England. In the "Prince William: We Can End Homelessness" documentary, William recalled asking his mother about a homeless person sitting on the street, and when she explained, it stuck with him. Because of those memories, William decided where he should focus his efforts when the time came. He became patron of the Passage in 2019. 

"What do I feel works? What do I feel people want to see from me? And I have taken some inspiration and guidance from what my mother did, particularly with homelessness," William said in his doc (per People). "And that's grown more over the last few years." William also stated his desire to use his influence to try and make change happen. 

William has made several appearances at the Passage since aligning with the organization. One of those appearances was on December 5, 2024, when he helped serve a Christmas lunch alongside other volunteers. A video of the lunch was posted on William's Instagram, along with the reminder, "Acts of kindness, like serving Christmas lunches, brings hope and fosters a sense of community for those who need it most."