Royal fans have praised the work of the Duke of Cambridge after William joined a group of Big Issue sellers in Central London on Wednesday afternoon just days after the Jubilee celebrations. William was spotted by office workers as he wore the Big Issue red baseball cap and jacket while holding copies on the magazine in Westminster.
William also posed for photographs with passer-by's who were shocked to bump into a royal secretly selling the Big Issue. Several fans shared the photos across their social media accounts and were delighted with the opportunity to have a chat reports the Mirror.
Matthew Gardner, a retired Met Police Chief Superintendent posted a photo of William on Linkedin after his brother-in-law managed to get a quick photo with the royal. The property manager had been on his way back to the office when he tried to take a photo from a distance but William saw him and walked towards him.
He wrote: "My brother-in-law was in London today and saw a celebrity, so he took a photo at a distance. 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.
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Fans were surprised to see William volunteering just days after the four-day Jubilee celebrations which took place across the UK celebrating the queen. They also expressed concern about the lack of security the Prince had with him.
Mr Gardner also added that his brother-in-law did not get away without having to pay for a copy of the magazine. William even produced a card machine after the office worker said he had no cash on him.
"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”.
"At this point, William produced a mobile card machine… you cannot teach that. Priceless, or should I say ‘princely’."
On meeting the royal, Richard Hannant said: “I think what struck me is we’ve just got past a massive Jubilee event and days later he’s out there supporting a charity like Big Issue. I think it’s that that I thought was most amazing because one is a worldwide event, this is just a low-key (event), literally standing on the side of the road with a homeless person.
“I was quite amazed that he could go from one massive event to such a low-key thing.”
The Prince has a long history of involvement with charities inspired by his mother, the late Princess Diana. He had already visited homeless charities and centers in Westminister in previous years. He is also a patron of Centrepoint, a national charity providing accommodation and support for socially excluded, homeless young people.
Responding to the post online, fans thought his charity work was 'adorable' and praised him for being so humble.
One fan wrote: "Definitely his mother's legacy'
Another agreed sharing: "Testament to his Mother's teaching of the real world, from an early age. Life beyond the palace. Lovely to see.."
One person commented: 'Where is his security? wow'
The Big Issue magazine was launched in 1991 to help combat the rising number of homeless sleepers in London. Those who sell the magazine earn an income by selling it to the public.
