Prince William’s supporters reveal what he’s really like behind the scenes – but expert questions if his relaxed ‘call me William’ approach will work as King

Prince William’s impact on charities is “very personal” and he often works behind the scenes with homeless people, the CEO of one of the groups he works with has revealed.

Mick Clarke, chief executive of the homeless charity The Passage, said the Prince of Wales, 41, has “the ability to listen, talk and put people at ease.”

Speak with TatlerIn a piece exploring William’s future as king, Mr Clarke explained that the royal family has quietly volunteered for the charity on several occasions.

Other experts also discussed William’s commentary on the conflict in the Middle East and how, like his father, he will continue to “hold the space to speak out sparingly on carefully chosen issues.”

The future king, 41, a patron of more than 30 charities, first visited the Passage as a child with his mother Princess Diana – something he says he was ‘deeply moved’ by.

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Speaking to Tatler, Mr Clarke said: ‘William’s impact is very personal’ (…)

‘Two weeks before Christmas, the Prince came to our Resource Center in Victoria for a Christmas lunch for 150 people.

‘He would stay for an hour, helping with serving, washing dishes and talking to people. He ended up staying for two and a quarter minutes, during which time he went from table to table talking to everyone.”

‘William has the ability to listen, talk and put people at ease. During the lockdown of November 2020, he came to help three times.

‘It gave the team a boost that he took the time; it was his way of saying, “I support you; You’re doing a great job.’

In December, William praised the work of The Passage and said he was “deeply moved” when he visited the charity with Princess Diana as a child.

He shared a video explaining the charity’s ‘amazing work’, including ‘life-changing’ work to prevent homelessness and human trafficking, which was posted on X on ICAP’s 31st charity day.

“Having a place to call home is so precious. Every day, the Passage works tirelessly to achieve a society where homelessness does not exist and where everyone has a place to call home,” he said.

See the full article in the May issue of Tatler, available via digital download and on newsstands from Thursday 28 March

Prince William also caused some laughs when he said: ‘Who’s pinching my bum?’ when he posed for a group photo

Tatler’s article, written by former BBC Royal Correspondent, Wesley Kerr OBE, also looks at how William can continue as king.

Speaking to Mr Kerr, The Times Royal Correspondent Valentine Lowe said William is ‘shaping’ the future of the company in a more relaxed way than his father.

‘He (The Prince of Wales) seeks his own way to be recognisable, to benefit all, in the context of a centuries-old institution undergoing significant challenges and upheaval, as head of a nation divided by difficult times, conflicts abroad and social and political problems. uncertainty,” he said.

‘Charles is sympathetic to William’s approach and his desire to make time with his young family sacred. They are confidantes, as evidenced by the night of Queen Elizabeth’s death; they were both at Birkhall with Camilla, discussing funeral arrangements, while the rest of the grieving family were nearby at Balmoral, hosted by the Princess Royal.

‘Charles has spent almost sixty years in public life and is the most important statesman of our time, having been in the spotlight even longer than Joe Biden.

Last summer, William, 41, appeared relaxed as he linked up with salesman Dave Martin, 61, who has been a friend of the royal family since they hit the streets in 2021 with Big Issue sales.

The future king says he was ‘deeply moved’ when he visited the charity as a child with Princess Diana (pictured with Harry and Diana in the Passage in the 1990s)

But will the so-called ‘call me William’ approach be successful?

The prince has certainly led the way in ditching the stiff upper lip and taking a more practical approach to assignments.

In October he hugged his way through a room of Windrush veterans as he celebrated the Caribbean who helped rebuild post-war Britain – but drew the line at kissing.

The Prince of Wales was mobbed by well-wishers at the Grange Pavilion community center in Cardiff, but cheekily told them: ‘I draw the line at kissing!’

Later, as guests posed for a group photo, William laughed with Kate as they moved to a back row and led the Windrush veterans to the front, but the room erupted when the prince joked: “Who’s pinching my bum?”

Mr Low believes the royal family has put a lot of thought into its ‘call me William’ approach to the throne, wondering whether it would work if ‘the whole point of the royal family is mystical and different’ but he is keen to modernize the throne. monarchy.

It was a difficult start to the year for the future king. His father, King Charles, is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, while his wife, Princess of Wales, is recovering from abdominal surgery.

Kate Middleton has been working from home on an early years project that has been hailed as her ‘life’s work’ as she recovers from abdominal surgery.

The Princess of Wales, 42, launched the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood (RFCEC) Shaping Us project in January last year, aiming to highlight the importance of early childhood development in children.

Kensington Palace has confirmed that Kate will continue to work on the project while she recovers at home; the Center has funded a trial of a baby observation tool for health visitors to monitor young people’s social and emotional development.

The princess personally suggested the instrument could be used in Britain after seeing a similar system during a royal visit to Denmark, reports suggest. This means that she is very involved in the process and its results, which will be published today.

The news that she is being briefed suggests that she could be preparing to return to work as planned; Kensington Palace has insisted since January that she is ‘unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter’.

View the full article in the May issue of Tatler available from Thursday, March 28 via digital download and on newsstands