William hauls chair up three storeys in Aberdeen after declaring homelessness a 'systematic failure'

The Prince of Wales personally helped furnish a flat in Aberdeen this afternoon, as he commemorated three years of his Homewards programme.

William carried a dining chair up three flights of stairs to the one-bedroom property on the city's outskirts, with Langstane Housing Association employees bringing the remaining seats.

The initiative, which operates across six locations nationwide - Newport, Lambeth, Belfast, Sheffield and the Dorset towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, along with Aberdeen - aims to establish a blueprint for eliminating homelessness in all its manifestations.

William had earlier addressed an audience at the Tate Modern in London, where he declared: "Homelessness is not an individual failure; it is a systemic failure."

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

So far, the Homewards Fund has channelled £1.9million directly into its target communities, with an additional £3.5million secured through grants and private donations.

Surplus goods valued at £2.3million have now been utilised to furnish properties through the scheme.

Ikea and other corporate supporters provided this afternoon's Aberdeen flat with furnishings, alongside household appliances and cleaning supplies.

The new tenant is due to sign their tenancy agreement with Langstane on Wednesday.

At the housing association's nearby offices, the heir to the throne packed a reusable shopping bag with cleaning products destined for another new residence.

"All that makes them feel like it's a home, not somewhere they've got to stay," William said as he assembled the care package.

William then gave a characteristic quip when Helen Gauld, Langstane's chief executive, referenced air fryers among the donated appliances. The prince, mishearing the comment, joked: "Some of us don't need hair dryers..."

The self-deprecating joke drew laughter from those present at the Aberdeen event.

LATEST ROYAL NEWS

• King and Queen meet Scottish footballing legend at Holyroodhouse garden party
• Meghan Markle 'could attend Wimbledon during trip to UK to watch friend Serena Williams'
• James Middleton sends heartwarming message to Princess of Wales following major achievement

Later in the day, the prince attended a gathering at a London art gallery to mark the anniversary with those supporting the Homewards cause.

Among the guests was broadcaster and DJ Dean McCullough, who brought his mother along to meet William.

The Radio 1 presenter spoke with the prince about his own childhood experiences of homelessness.

Mr McCullough expressed how "proud" he feels to serve as an ambassador for Centrepoint, the youth homelessness charity.

The conversation touched on the broadcaster's personal connection to the cause, lending weight to the evening's celebrations of the initiative's progress over its first three years.

William also engaged in conversation with Baroness Louise Casey, a veteran of government efforts to tackle rough sleeping and housing insecurity.

Reacting to the day's events, the Prince of Wales took to Instagram: "Meeting residents and support staff at Langstane Housing Association in Aberdeen - one of Homewards’ six flagship locations - to mark the completion of homes delivered through the city’s Innovative Housing Project.

"Helping prepare welcome packages filled with the essential items that help people settle in and feel at home. Each fully furnished home - made possible through a network of partners including IKEA, Dunelm, DFS, Glencraft and The Multibank - is a reminder that stable housing, paired with the right support, can be the difference between crisis and a fresh start.

"A pleasure to also join key partners across the Homewards Aberdeen Coalition at an event to mark three years of the programme."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter