Prince William goes undercover in London
He was one of the royal family’s most public faces during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. Now Prince William has surprised Londoners with a much more understated role.
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Prince William has swapped the ceremonial uniform and suit and tie combo he wore during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last weekend to don a red baseball cap and vendor vest to sell the Big Issue in London.
The future king took to the streets of Westminster to hawk the latest issue of the magazine, with proceeds going to help the homeless.
He was only noticed when a passing Londoner spotted a “celebrity” – and went in for a closer look.
According to The Sun, retired policeman Matthew Gardner shared photos of the royal on his LinkedIn account.
“My brother-in-law was in London today and saw a celebrity, so he took a photo at a distance,” he wrote.
“The celebrity saw the ‘covert surveillance’ effort and crossed the road to investigate further.
“What an honour to have a private moment with our future king who was humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy.
“These ‘silent gestures’ often go unrecognised.”
And Prince William didn’t pass up the opportunity to make a sale.
“The finale to this unique occasion was when Prince William asked my brother-in-law If he wanted to buy the Big Issue, to which he replied “I have no change”,” Mr Gardner said.
“At this point William produced a mobile card machine … you cannot teach that!
“Priceless, or should I say ‘princely’.”
The Duke of Cambridge has been working on homeless projects since his mother Princess Diana took him to a homeless shelter when he was young.
He became royal patron of initiative the Passage, in Victoria, in February 2019, and early last year visited the site to pack up lunches for those in need.
He also took over as patron of Centrepoint homeless charity.
Prince William has also spoken about talking to Prince George and Princess Charlotte about the plight of homeless people.
Speaking to former Great British Bake-off judge, Mary Berry, in 2020 he said: “On the school run already, bear in mind they’re six and four, whenever we see anyone who is sleeping rough on the streets, I talk about it and I point it out and I explain why and they’re all very interested.
“They’re like: ‘Why can’t they go home?’”
Mr Gardner’s LinkedIn post has been widely shared, as people posted their admiration for the Duke of Cambridge.
“Best thing about it is the fact that he was doing it with no fuss, fanfare or publicity,” one said.
Another added: “Priceless from our future king.”
And a third said: “Amazing. Great guy and he’s a Villa fan!”
The Cambridges took a much more starry role in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last week.
The family appeared at all major events, including Party at the Palace and the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s.
Prince William used the huge concert to speak about another of his passions – the environment.
Taking the stage to loud cheers, he said: “While no one’s grandmother thanks them for talking about their age, my own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century.
“In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs.
“And although those breakthroughs have increased our awareness of the impact humans have on our world, our planet has become more fragile.
“Today, in 2022 – as the Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee – the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent.”
Originally published as Prince William goes undercover in London
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