The Prince of Wales made his first public appearance since Monday, when video of his visit to the Windsor farm shop with the Princess of Wales surfaced.
On Tuesday, Prince William, 41, visited Sheffield to further showcase the efforts of his Homewards project, which he initiated in June of last year.
As he attended a conference at the Millennium Gallery to support the end of homelessness, the father of three praised his wife Catherine’s work with young children.
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Kate Joseph, the chief executive of Sheffield City Council, brought up the subject of childhood. William immediately commented on how well the Princess’ Shaping Us campaign was going with her Early Years projects.
I’m entering my wife’s domain here. He grinned and said, “She needs to be seated here to hear this.”
One man, Chris Lynam, 41, told the Prince at the Homewards Sheffield Local Coalition meeting how his PTSD caused him to leave the Royal Navy, which in turn led to drug and alcohol addiction and, ultimately, prison.
“Chris,” William informed him. “I just wanted to say how brave you are to come here and share your story.”
In order to maintain communication, the Prince asked his assistants to obtain Chris’s contact information.
Chris, who works with the Cathedral Archer Project for homelessness in Sheffield, said the following following the visit: “Wow. Not what I had anticipated. It brought me back a little because he was a really nice man and he really listens. I enjoyed him.
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William also participated in a housing workshop earlier in the day to talk about ways to help local families who might otherwise end up homeless.
To which he replied, “Does something like Homewards allow you the space, if you like, to help in this area?” he addressed Ajman Ali, executive director of Sheffield City Council.
“Considering that you manage so many things on a daily basis as a council member, it is rare for you to take a step back and proactively address the numerous issues that councils across the nation are constantly occupied with.
“I’m hoping that Homewards comes along (and can) lift that pressure off you, bring more people into the mix and allow you to then able to plan and see something further down the line.”
He even made time for a selfie, graciously agreeing to hold his travel mug while posing with royal enthusiast Leigh Stinchcombe.
William started a five-year project called Homewards, which aims to bring together a variety of people and organizations to create customized solutions for homelessness in the south London Borough of Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen, and Sheffield; three nearby towns in Dorset, Poole, Bournemouth, and Christchurch; and Newport, South Wales.
The DIY retailer Homebase, whose CEO, Damian McGloughlin, expressed his desire to be personally involved in the project, gave the initiative a £1 million boost. He formally promised at the meeting to provide tenants with up to 1500 Home Starter Packs—furniture, paint, flooring, and other items—to assist them in transforming a rental property into a home.
Photo: © Getty Images
The Prince of Wales’s visit to Sheffield coincides with the release by The Sun and TMZ of video that a fellow customer took on Saturday showing William and Catherine leaving The Windsor Farm Shop.
The Princess, who is presently recovering from abdominal surgery, is seen in the video talking with William while sporting a big white bag and having her hair down. She is also dressed in a sports jacket and leggings.
Following her abdominal surgery on January 16, Catherine has not been seen in public, which has sparked wild conspiracy theories about her whereabouts and health on social media. After her surgery, she has only been pictured in public twice. It is anticipated that she will return to her royal duties after Easter.
