Prince William poses on the cover of Big Issue

Prince William posed for a special edition of The Big Issue on his 40th birthday and revealed how he was inspired by his late mother, Princess Diana. ‘homelessness’ problem.

The Duke of Cambridge wrote privately for the magazine earlier this month after disguising himself as the Big Issue vendor on the streets of London to explain why he wanted to talk about the homelessness issue surrounding the milestone he will celebrate tomorrow. .

William, father of eight-year-old Prince George, seven-year-old Princess Charlotte and four-year-old Prince Louis, recalled how his interest in the subject began at age 11, when he first visited a homeless shelter with his mother, the Princess of Wales.

He added that Diana “is determined, with her unique style, to shine a light on a neglected and misunderstood problem.”

Sold by people out of poverty, the magazine also includes an interview between William and Dave Martin, 60, a Big Issue salesman he joined to sell the magazine.

Vitalijus Zuikauskas poses for a photo with Prince William, seen in London on 8 June 2022, while selling The Big Issue.

William wrote: “I was eleven when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, whose unique style was determined to shine a light on a neglected and misunderstood problem.

“Over the past 30 years, I have seen countless projects in this field grow stronger, including charities that I have the honor of patronizing.

“New initiatives have been launched across the country, some working, some not. However, currently arguably the best-known of these organizations, The Big Issue has undeniably made an impact.

He continued: “I wanted to experience the other side and see what it’s like to be a Big Issue Seller. My time has really opened my eyes.

“I have always believed in using my platform to tell these stories and bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I intend to do this more now, at 40, than in the past.

“So for my part, I am determined to continue to do everything possible to raise this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come.”

Prince William during his first visit to The Passage homeless shelter with his mother Diana and brother Harry in 1993

A few days after the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Duke of Cambridge sold the magazine with Big Issue dealer Dave Martin on Rochester Row, near Victoria, London.

They sold 32 copies together that afternoon. They then visited The Passage, a neighborhood homeless charity that supports people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, and which Duke was boss in 2019.

It was where Princess Diana brought her young children to The Passage to help them understand the challenges faced by those living on the fringes.

Duke and Dave then interviewed each other about their Big Trouble selling experiences, homelessness, how the anniversary united the country, and more. The speech can be read in The Big Issue magazine and on the website.

When William asked Dave what the Big Problem was doing for him, he said, “He took me off the streets. He respected me. I was begging at the time. Another salesperson said I could do better and took me to the Big Problem office.

The Duke added: ‘Homeless people cannot rebuild their lives without certain things. One of them is respect and self-respect. The Big Issue offers you this as well as a way to generate income.

December 2009: William, then 27 years old, spent a restless night at Christmas trying to understand the plight of the homeless.

Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, said: “I met Prince William and told him I was homeless and was relieved of my grief that I had been put in jail, and then I started The Big Issue.

“We must do everything we can to lift millions of people in the UK out of poverty forever. We need to put more emphasis on prevention and care, not just all the support and effort needed to respond to emergencies.

“The interest in selling William The Big Issue has been tremendous. And it highlights our salespeople and their excellent work. Anyone can sell the Big Problem, even a prince!’

Mick Clarke, CEO of The Passage, said: “We were delighted to welcome our Royal Patron, His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, for this exclusive interview with Dave and The Big Issue.

‘The Duke has visited The Passage many times over the years to meet our customers and raise awareness and support those affected by homelessness. We were particularly pleased to welcome Dave as a former Passage customer and were proud to see how he progressed in his life.

As Duke pointed out in the interview, the Everyone Out program showed that when society works together, we can make real progress towards ending homelessness on the streets, something that shouldn’t happen in the world. England in the 21st century. “He’s alongside The Passage, The Duke, The Big Issue, and many others who have worked hard in the fight against the homeless.”

This special issue of The Big Issue is available from suppliers in the UK such as Dave. Sellers buy magazines for £1.50 and sell for £3, which preserves revenue.

There are about 1,300 men and women trying to break out of poverty by selling The Big Issue.

Visit www.bigissue.com to find your local Big Issue dealer. If you are unable to contact a local provider, subscriptions are available at www.bigissue.com/subscribe to continue your organization’s work.