Prince William has recalled how his late mother Princess Diana took him to a homeless shelter when he was just 11, saying the visit opened his eyes to how others lived a different life to him.

In an extract from a documentary about his efforts to end homelessness, which will be broadcast this week, the heir to the British throne told how Diana introduced him and his younger brother Prince Harry to the cause, as part of her determination to raise awareness of social issues. issues from AIDS to mental health.

“I’ve never been to anything like this before and I was a bit anxious about what to expect. My mother was a regular part of making everyone feel relaxed, laughing and joking with everyone,” William said of the 1993 Visit to London charity The Passage.

In June last year, King Charles’ eldest son launched a five-year ‘Homewards’ project which he said was inspired by Diana.

Homelessness charities say it is difficult to know exactly how many people are living on the streets, but statistics published this month show that 178,560 households were assessed as homeless in England in 2023-24, up 12.3% on the previous year.

Focusing on homelessness, William said he was “desperately trying to help people in need and I see that as part of my role”.

He remembered during his visit to The Passage, playing chess and chatting with the people there.

“Then it informed me that there are other people who don’t have the same life as you,” he says in the documentary. “When you’re young enough… you just think life is what you see in front of you. You don’t really have the concept to look elsewhere.

“And when you meet people that I did back then, that put a different perspective in your head and say…I was living down the street last night.”

ITV’s full-length documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, will be broadcast on 30 and 31 October.