is remembering one of the many ways his mother, , made a “really big impact” on his life.
William, 42, spoke at length about his late mother in the two-part documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, which is now streaming on Disney+. The film followed the Prince of Wales through his first year of the Homewards initiative, which is a five-year plan to eradicate homelessness in the U.K.
“I have taken some guidance from what my mother did,” William told the cameras, remembering how Diana took him and Prince Harry to a homeless shelter as young boys.
“When I was very small my mother started talking about homelessness, much like I do now with my children on the school run,” William said of his three kids with : Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
William recalled seeing “people on the street” during his own childhood and asking Diana about it.
“When you’re [that] small, you’re curious, and you’re kind of trying to work out what’s going on. You just ask the question, like, ‘Well, why are they sitting there?’ And my mother would talk to us a bit about why they were there,” he said. “It definitely had a really big impact.”
William referenced his mother numerous times during the first part of the documentary. He also shared throwback photos of them together while visiting The Passage, a homeless charity in the U.K., years ago.
“She took Harry and I both there,” he said of the snapshot, in which William is 11. “I’d never been to anything like that before and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect. My mother went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed and having a laugh and joking with everyone.”
Diana died at age 36 in an August 1997 car accident. Prior to her passing, the then-Princess of Wales championed a slew of charitable initiatives. Homelessness was a cause near and dear to her hear which she passed down to her son.
“Everyone having a right to a safe and stable home benefits us all. I come with no other agenda other than desperately trying to help people who are in need,” William said in the film. “I see that as part of my role. Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can? I like a big challenge. I do like that, but I can’t do it on my own.”
Prince William: We Can End Homelessness is now streaming.
