When Prince William rolls up his sleeves, he means business—though not without a cheeky attempt to dodge a few kitchen duties. In his new documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, the Prince of Wales proved he's not afraid of a little humor while taking on a challenge that's deeply personal: ending homelessness in the U.K.
Viewers get an intimate look at William's commitment to tackling the homelessness crisis in the two-part series, currently airing on ITV in the U.K. and on Disney+ beginning Friday, Nov. 1. Returning to The Passage, the London charity he first visited with his late mother Princess Diana when he was just 11, William helped serve clients during a Christmas dinner.
However, his playful attempt to dodge work by suggesting he'd rather "have a natter" with visitors backfired hilariously, with one worker quickly calling out his "escape" attempt.
"You've got enough hands in here anyway, don't you?" William, who wore a white apron over his green sweater, remarked during one scene. "I might go over there and have a natter."
When the Prince of Wales attempted to sneak away for a chat, he was met with a knowing, "Oh, you're trying to escape the work, I'm watching you!" from a fellow kitchen worker. After lots of laughs he suggested he'd pitch in with drinks or ketchup duty during the event.
The prince's Homewards initiative, launched last year, targets six key areas across the U.K., aiming to transform the landscape of homelessness in just five years. He admitted that it's an ambitious goal—and one his charitable mother would have called "mad."
In the docuseries, he shared several unseen photos of himself with Princess Diana while they visited The Passage in 1993, including some from a similar Christmas event. The Prince of Wales currently serves as the charity's royal patron, and he spoke about how his mother's work inspired his passion to end homelessness.
"When I was very small, my mother started talking about homelessness, much like I do with my children now on the school run," he said, explaining that he has started conversations with his own kids Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, about those less fortunate.
At the end of the day, Prince William said he saw tackling homelessness as an integral part of his role as the future King. "I feel, with my position and my platform, I should be delivering change," he said. "I've spent enough time learning and listening to what people have been through that I feel almost guilty every time I leave that I'm not doing more to help."
