Prince William made a solo outing on Tuesday as the royal celebrated his 20th anniversary as patron of the homelessness charity Centrepoint. The patronage is personal for the Prince of Wales, and it serves as one of his longest patronages.
During his visit, the father-of-three joined staff and people helped by the charity to celebrate the milestone anniversary. He also joined in with creating the charity's 'Wall of Hope', a mural co-designed by a group of young people and artist Lanré Olagoke. The mural aims to celebrate Centrepoint's journey as a charity and its aim to end homelessness.
Lanré was previously homeless himself, and in 2024 was awarded an MBE. The Prince of Wales was on hand to award the artist personally with the honour.
William also received a towering cake from baker Juliet Sear – best known for the Bruce Bogtrotter masterpiece in Netflix's Matilda the Musical. Juliet is also a regular on This Morning, and has previously baked for royals, including Prince Harry.
Scroll down to see the best photos from the visit…
© ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockIt was a rainy day in London
Arrival
William braved the elements as he arrived at the Centrepoint offices to mark his special anniversary.
It was the first time that the royal had visited the charity's new premises since they moved there in the summer.
© ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockWilliam headed in
Greeting the crowd
The royal was seen winking and waving at members of the public who had arrived.
© Alamy Live News.William was treated to a three-tiered cake
Special cake
The royal looked impressed with the creation designed by Juliet Sear. The three-tiered chocolate sponge cake carried the number 20, marking the anniversary.
Speaking before cutting into the cake, William said: "Many of you have been here many more years than that and it’s an amazing moment to think, in 20 years, how much has changed and been achieved by all of you. The Centrepoint family is one I am very proud to be a part of and I can't thank you all [enough] for all the hard work, every day, you give to help other people. It's fantastic, and that massive cake signifies the love and the generosity and the time you all give to helping other people, so make sure you take [a] piece."
© Mulholland/WPA Pool/ShutterstockThe Prince sliced into the cake
Golden knife
Where Charlie Bucket had a golden ticket, William had a golden knife as he sliced into the delicious cake.
© Alamy Live News.William also painted part of the mural
Artistic hand
William showed off his artistic skills as he painted on the charity's new mural. While painting in the artwork, William joked: "I have painted, but you don't want to see what it looks like."
© Alamy Live News.William had a laugh!
A new generation
William greeted people helped by the charity and volunteers, and he even met a small baby, named Laell, during his trip!
The youngster kicked his legs out when William tickled him, and the royal joked: "I can see he wants to play, he's like, 'I want to get down'. I know that face."
Interest in homelessness
William's interest in homelessness started back in 1993, when he was aged 11, the late Princess of Wales took him to The Passage, a homeless shelter. Speaking about the experience with ITV News in 2023, he reflected: "My first visit to a homelessness shelter was when I was 11, with my mother.
"The visits we made left a deep and lasting impression. I met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heart-breaking personal stories. Too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home."
© GettyWilliam became a patron for the charity, which helps homeless youth aged between 16 and 25, back in 2005. His late mother, Princess Diana, had been a patron of the charity from 1992 until her death in 1997. Despite giving up most of her royal patronages following her divorce from the then Prince Charles, Diana remained as patron of Centrepoint.
William was with the charity earlier this year, visiting a branch in Ealing earlier this year. During his visit, the royal met with young adults who were able to turn their lives around thanks to support from the charity.
© GettyIn one of his biggest acts of support for the charity, in 2009, William took part in a 'sleep-out' to raise awareness of the issue. St James’ Palace said at the time: "Prince William took away from the experience the importance of tackling all the issues that cause people to be homeless and stay homeless, from drug dependency to mental health problems."
The royal has also launched his own initiative, known as Homewards, back in 2023. William's project aims to make homelessness "rare, brief and unrepeated". Back in 2024, William announced that homes would be built on land owned by his Duchy of Cornwall in order to help solve the issue.
HELLO!'s Content Managing Editor Ainhoa Barcelona said of William's interest in the subject: "Homelessness has always been one of the key focuses of Prince William's charitable work, ever since he was a child, when he memorably joined his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales on a visit to The Passage homeless charity aged 11. The engagement made a lasting impression on him, so it's no surprise that William has continued to make homelessness one of his philanthropic priorities.
© Getty Images"Testament to this is his role as patron of Centrepoint; it's one of William's longest patronages and one he took over from his late mother, and this year he marks 20 years with the charity. William has said before he is just 'desperately trying to help' those in need and in 2023 he made the ambitious goal to eradicate homelessness in six UK locations through his Homewards initiative – building homes on his own Duchy of Cornwall land.
"On a more personal level, there's no doubt he will show his own children life beyond palace walls, just as Diana did with him and his brother Prince Harry. Given that Prince George is now 12, a year older than William was when he visited his first shelter, we can expect the young royal to be introduced to his father's key issue soon."
