Prince George appeared visibly moved and said “wow, OK” when he saw Princess Diana’s signature in a guest book at the homelessness charity she used to take Prince William to when William was child, it has been reported.
Kensington Palace announced William had taken George, 12, to visit homelessness charity The Passage in Victoria, south London, on December 16, walking in Diana’s footsteps.
Diana took William to visit the same organization back in 1993 to show him that outside palace walls life can be tough for ordinary people.
And when Prince George saw his grandmother’s name in the guest book, he was visibly moved and remarked “wow, OK,” according to the Daily Mail.
Why It Matters
Prince George will never get to meet Diana after she died in a car crash in 1997. But her legacy has had a powerful impact on the life and work of both her children, William, George’s father, and Prince Harry, his uncle.
And William, the Prince of Wales, has kept his mother’s focus on homelessness alive with his own Homewards campaign, aimed at ending homelessness.
What To Know
Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, told the Mail about a conversation he had with George during the December 16 visit: “I said, you know, your dad’s been involved with The Passage for many, many years. Your grandma took him to The Passage when he was about your age.
“And what you’re going to be doing today is helping us prepare for our Christmas lunch, which is a really important day because it’s for people who perhaps won’t have a place that they can call home this Christmas.
“I said, we’ve just got a number of different things for you to help us with. So, time to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in.
“He was well up for it. Absolutely. Very much like his dad in terms of he just wanted to crack on, which was lovely.”
In addition to signing the guest book themselves, George and William put together care packages, made cupcakes and attended The Passage’s annual Christmas lunch.
They helped decorate a Christmas tree and prepare the lunch and George also met some of the people the charity helps.
What People Are Saying
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek and others: “It was important to The Prince of Wales to share with Prince George the work of The Passage and to spend time volunteering alongside the team. They both greatly enjoyed meeting staff, volunteers and service users as well as learning more about the charity’s work.
“The dedication shown not only by The Passage but by organizations across the homelessness sector, at Christmas and throughout the year, is invaluable.”
One fan commenting on a video of the visit on the Kensington Palace YouTube account wrote: “I Love how Prince George interacts with Old People, not shy and really takes time to show interest and listen giving them such Respect.”
Another wrote: “He’s the same age William was when Diana took him to the Passage. Diana would be so proud of this!”
What Happens Next
At age 12, Prince George’s royal engagements are few and far between but he has been doing more recently, including a tea at Buckingham Palace for World War II veterans held to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Fans may therefore expect to see more of him in the future.
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.