Can you hear that? The susurrous whisper of a collective sigh of royal relief? The Firm’s tradition of attending a service at Crathie Kirk is usually a heartwarming insight into the family’s annual reunion, and while the country swelled with support at the sight of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, in such high spirits in her Hicks & Brown fedora, a certain contingent of royal watchers were dismayed to see one gutting omission from Prince William’s new summer style. Had the Prince of Wales scrapped the stubble?
Fear not. Having first set pulses racing with his new look in a video singing the praises of Team GB from Anmer Hall in Norfolk, Prince William was again sporting some dashing facial hair at his first public engagement following his holiday in Balmoral. The prince, beloved beard on show, got back to work with a mission very close to his heart, dedicating a day to touring the “Homelessness: Reframed” exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery.
The show, designed in collaboration with William’s charity, Homewards, aims to help the public better engage with the complexities of homelessness, encouraging understanding by showcasing the work of artists who have experienced, or been inspired by those with experience of, homelessness.
One such artist was an old friend of the Prince of Wales. Dave Martin, a Big Issue vendor who became homeless in 2011, has developed a close connection with the future king—the pair are known to exchange Christmas cards, and William once joined Martin to sell the magazine on the streets of London back in 2022. No wonder, then, that a warm reunion was on the cards for the pair.
Viewers cannot get over Will’s new unshaved look.
“Dave, lovely to see you again. How have you been?” said William, shaking his friend’s hand and offering a jovial pat on the shoulder. The prince is clearly au fait with Martin’s artistic stylings, immediately recognizing his contribution to the exhibition. William pointed out his friend’s abstract art, which used geometrical shapes to represent aspects of his life, including a pathway and a roof over his head, before offering a fond farewell to Martin. The bond between the two is undeniable, with Martin even interviewing William for The Big Issue in 2022. In the candid piece, the then Duke of Cambridge reflected on why homelessness was so urgent an issue for him:
“I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem,” said William.
Indeed, Princess Diana worked to combat homelessness throughout her life, and her eldest son has certainly taken up the mantle of his mother’s projects. Last year, William founded Homewards, having spent many years as a patron of various charities in the sector. His Royal Foundation has described Homewards as “a five-year program that aims to demonstrate that it’s possible to end homelessness by working with six locations across the UK to put collaboration at the heart of the response.” Speaking last year about the launch of the initiative, the Prince of Wales explained his goals and what he hoped he would like to achieve. He said: “In a modern and progressive society, everyone should have a safe and secure home, be treated with dignity and given the support they need.
“Through Homewards, I want to make this a reality and over the next five years, give people across the UK hope that homelessness can be prevented when we collaborate. I am fortunate to have seen first-hand the tireless work of people and organisations across the sector, the tangible impact their efforts can have, and what can be done when communities are able to focus on preventing homelessness, rather than managing it.
“It’s a big task, but I firmly believe that by working together it is possible to make homelessness rare, brief, and unrepeated and I am very much looking forward to working with our six locations to make our ambition a reality.”
This autumn, a two-part documentary will follow Prince William throughout the launch of his initiative, and if the monumental success of “Homelessness: Reframed” is anything to go by, his work seems to be making a real difference for many. The Prince of Wales appeared moved when he was informed that visitor numbers were five times higher than expected: 5,000 attendees had been expected, but 25,000 people visited the six-week show in 23 days. “I am really pleased, so pleased,” said William, warmly.
While touring the exhibition, the prince took the time to speak to many of the contributing artists, many of whom have themselves experienced homelessness throughout their lives. One such artist, Dave Tovey, showed the heir to the throne around a life-size sculpture of a house, crafted out of an old Peugeot 206 in which Tovey once lived. The artist seemed shocked by the strength of William’s commitment to combating homelessness, recounting how he thought the prince must have been “mad” when he told Tovey that his work would be featured in the exhibition. But William appeared impassioned by the success of his charity’s work at the Saatchi Gallery. “Do you think we’ve got the right tone?” he asked Tovey of the works on display. “I really want people to feel this, experience it. To change perceptions.”
The two bonded over their shared experience in the military, and William candidly admitted that the intensive training required to serve one’s country can leave you feeling emotionless. “They are sometimes really hard to get back, aren’t they?” Tovey recalled William saying.
He also found time to catch up with the famed British photographer Rankin, who memorably photographed a beaming Queen Elizabeth II for her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Rankin said how much he loved taking part in the exhibition.
Indeed, it seems the artists were just as proud to work with the prince as he was to support them. Uche Eneke, whose powerful photographs were displayed at the gallery, said how moved she was by William’s ability to listen, and what a difference it made to have his backing for her artwork.
She said: “He is amazing. Coming from his position he could not want to make a difference, but he does. He has all sorts of brickbats thrown at him and he takes on the chin and gets on with this. He wants to make a difference. He sees the bigger picture.”
“Homelessness: Reframed” opened on August 7, 2024, and will end on September 20, 2024.
This article first appeared on Tatler.
