Prince William Praises Wife Kate During Latest Visit
The Prince of Wales made his first appearance since video footage of his Windsor farm shop visit with the Princess of Wales emerged on Monday.
Prince William, 41, travelled to Sheffield on Tuesday to continue to highlight the work of his Homewards project he launched last June.
The father-of-three hailed his wife Kate’s work with young children as he joined a conference at the Millennium Gallery to help end homelessness.
When the topic of childhood was raised by Kate Joseph, chief executive of Sheffield City Council, William immediately remarked about the success of the Princess’ Shaping Us campaign through her Early Years projects.
“Venturing into my wife’s territory here. She needs to be sat here to hear this,” he remarked, smiling.
At the Homewards Sheffield Local Coalition meeting, one man, Chris Lynam, 41, told the Prince how he left the Royal Navy with post-traumatic stress disorder and this led him down a path of drug and alcohol addiction and, eventually, prison.
William told him: “Chris. Can I just say how brave you are to be here and talk about your story?”
The Prince asked his aides to get Chris’s contact details so they could stay in touch.
Speaking after the visit, Chris, who works with the Sheffield-based Cathedral Archer Project for homelessness, said: “Wow. Not what I expected. He was really nice man and he really listens, which took me back a little. I liked him.”
Earlier in the day, William also joined a housing workshop to discuss solutions to support local families at risk of homelessness.
READ: Princess Kate and Prince William Enjoy a Serene Stroll at Local Farm Shop
He asked Ajman Ali, Sheffield City Council’s executive director: “Does something like Homewards allow you the space, if you like, to help in this area?
“Because bearing in mind with the council, you run so many things, (in) so many days, when do you ever get to lift your head up and actually get ahead of a lot of the problems that councils, all up and down the country, are always busily dealing 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.”
And there was even time for a selfie as he happily obliged to pose with royal fan, Leigh Stinchcombe, and offered to hold his travel mug. See the sweet moment in the clip below…
Homewards is a five-year project launched by William to bring together a range of individuals and organisations to develop bespoke homelessness solutions in Newport, South Wales, three neighbouring Dorset towns, Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, the south London Borough of Lambeth, Belfast, Aberdeen and Sheffield.
The initiative was given a boost worth £1 million from DIY retailer Homebase whose chief executive officer Damian McGloughlin said he personally wanted to be involved in the project. At the meeting he formally pledged up to 1500 Home Starter Packs, which could include paint, furniture, flooring and furnishings, to help tenants turn a property into a home.
The Prince of Wales’s trip to Sheffield comes after The Sun and TMZ shared footage of William and Kate leaving the The Windsor Farm Shop, which was taken by a fellow shopper on Saturday.
In the video the Princess, who is currently recuperating from abdominal surgery, can be seen with her hair down, wearing a sports jacket and leggings, chatting with William and carrying a large white bag.
Kate’s absence from public life, following abdominal surgery on 16 January, has led to wild conspiracy theories on social media about her whereabouts and health. She has only been photographed twice in public since her operation and is expected to resume her royal duties after Easter.