Prince William hawks Big Issue and poses with admirers, royal fans praise his humble efforts
Prince William was seen quietly distributing the Big Issue on the streets of London, according to a bystander who was startled to meet the modest royal. When the Duke of Cambridge was seen from across the road on June 8, he was wearing the magazine's red gilet and baseball cap, indicating that he was supporting the charity.
Matthew Gardner, a retired Met Police chief superintendent, posted photos with William on his LinkedIn account following his brother-in-law's accidental meeting with the heir to the throne in Westminster. Gardner explained: "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. These 'silent gestures' often go unrecognised."
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Gardner added that his brother-in-law did not get away without putting his hand in his pocket. He said, "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.'"
Prince William the Big Issue seller. Lithuanian tourist Laura Michalkevic Zuikauske told me she couldn’t believe it when she realised who he was. She said he reminded her of his mother Princess Diana and described him as the “people’s Prince”. @TalkTV @TheNewsDesk @BigIssue pic.twitter.com/sp3HgsMhmb
— Sarah Hewson (@sarahhewsonTV) June 9, 2022
Many royal admirers weighed in on Prince William's intention of selling the Big Issue on Twitter. One fan wrote, "What great pictures of Prince William & some fans. He is so good looking with a great smile," while another fan remembered Princess Diana and wrote, "Aww I’m sure his mom is proud of the man he turned out to be."
What great pictures of Prince William & some fans. He is so good looking with a great smile.
— Margaret Waite (@Waite01Waite) June 9, 2022
Aww 🥺 I’m sure his mom is proud of the man he turned out to be. 🥰🤍
— ♕ 𝕮𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊 (@_deerpastel) June 9, 2022
Prince William and his wife Kate had previously spoken about their support for organizations near and dear to their hearts, many of which were inspired by his mother, Princess Diana. He visited the homeless charity Epicentre in 2014, and he and his wife Kate visited The Passage in Westminster in 2018.
William previously disclosed that his mother took him to The Passage with his brother Prince Harry when he was just 12 years old. After entering the Royal Family, Princess Diana made homelessness her first humanitarian concern, and she was not afraid to meet individuals who were directly impacted.
As the second-in-line to the throne following his father Prince Charles, William played a key role in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations over the four-day bank holiday weekend. During the occasion, William appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony twice with his grandmother, his wife Kate, and their three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis. He also toured Wales to meet individuals taking part in the celebrations, and was a guest at the palace concert's Saturday night party.
