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Prince William joins city walking tour in Aberdeen led by those who used to be homeless as part of his Homewards project
The Prince of Wales has been taken on a walking tour of Aberdeen, in Scotland, by a man who used to live rough on the streets.
Angus is one of the graduates from Invisible Cities Aberdeen, a social enterprise offering walking tours guided by people who have experienced homelessness.
The program is supported by Prince William’s landmark Homewards project, which he launched in 2023 with the aim of eradicating homelessness.
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The cause is deeply personal to Prince William, who has previously said he was inspired to take up the mission started by his late mother Diana, who brought him to homelessness charities as a child.
The Homewards program is the biggest, and most ambitious, project in Prince William’s royal career.
The five-year plan aims to end homelessness across the UK with six pilot locations across Britain – Bournemouth, Newport, Aberdeen, Northern Ireland, Sheffield and Lambeth – chosen where he aims to see homelessness eradicated.
Prince William’s Homewards program focuses on preventing rather than managing homelessness, and will bring together all organisations working in the sector to create solutions that target local challenges.
The prince spent about half-an-hour on the streets of Aberdeen on Thursday learning more about the city’s homeless community and how many are now being helped through targeted programs.
“Your perception of the city is completely different when you’ve been homeless,” Angus says in a video shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media accounts.
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“You’re engaged with your city in a completely different way. In the course of a year, even one guide might be seeing hundreds or possibly thousands of guests and these are people who otherwise may never have actually spoken to a homeless person, so I think that’s a really good experience.”
The Invisible Cities initiative will soon expand to all six Homewards locations, Kensington Palace says.
Known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, Prince William has previously said homelessness should not exist in a “modern and progressive society”.
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While in Aberdeen, the prince also attended a meeting with young people looking for employment.
Hearing that some had been job hunting for up to two years, William replied: “I think things are pretty demoralising having waited so long and keep getting rejected, that’s going to get you down”.
Homewards has also partnered with recruitment specialists Hays to provide employment and training opportunities for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness across all six Homewards locations.
In a two-part ITV series Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, which aired in late 2024, the royal hit back at criticism he might not be the “right person” to end homelessness because of his royal upbringing.
The Prince of Wales said in response: “I think everyone having a right to a safe and stable home benefits us all”.
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“I come with no other agenda than desperately trying to help people who are in need,” he continued.
“And I see that as part of my role. Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can?
“And I like a big challenge, I do like that, but I can’t do it on my own.”
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