Prince William and the Homeless in London

Here is an incredible news item I found on the BBC today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8426630.stm

Prince William, second in line to the British throne, is patron of the homeless charity Centrepoint. He spent a night 'sleeping rough' (as the Brits describe it) in a sleeping bag near Blackfriars Bridge in central London. Security, of course, was not far away, to make sure the Prince didn't get treated like those who have made this part of London their 'home'. William said that the experience gave him an even deeper understanding of homelessness. He said that "poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency and family breakdown cause people to become and stay homeless'. He was joined by the charity's chief executive, Mr. Seyi Obakin.

Here is a recently-unveiled formal portrait of Princes William and Harry, now on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
I thank my friend Tom for sending this to me!

Upon reading this, I couldn't help but think about his mother--the late Diana, Princess of Wales. When William and his brother, Prince Harry, were younger, she would sometimes take them late at night to meet London's homeless, so they could have a greater appreciation for those who weren't brought up as privileged as they. Since her death, Prince William has taken over as patron of Centrepoint, which was one of the charities Diana kept in touch with after her divorce.

Some might consider this 'night with the homeless' as nothing more than a publicity stunt--or worse, a 'rich young man playing at living like a bum'. I am sure the British tabloid press will be making hay with this, in their own rather peculiar way! But I don't think so. I think it is a great form of 'education' for William in the runup to his becoming King. He will have a much greater exposure and understanding of the causes of homelessness, and be able to encourage and advise charities such as Centrepoint as to creative solutions to the issue.

His father, Charles, Prince of Wales, was not exposed as a child to issues like this, and I think it hurts him in the long term. Granted, Charles is more interested in things like architecture (who can ever forget his 'monstrous carbuncle' comment at a gathering of architects in London?) and natural farming methods. However, I don't think he'd be caught dead sleeping in the cold and dark near Blackfriars Bridge!

I say, kudos to William, for doing this! It will make him a more compassionate monarch, just as his mother would have wished. I'm sure Diana is smiling down on him right now.