Prince William along with French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have drawn attention to the homeless.
The prince reportedly took a sleeping bag out into the streets of London and slept near some garbage cans last week in below freezing weather. Afterward he made breakfast and served it to the homeless for the charity Centrepoint.
William said: “I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets. I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London’s streets night after night.”
He showed his grasp of what causes homelessness, saying: “Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless. Centrepoint’s work – along with many other organisations – in tackling these fundamental causes is desperately important if we are ever to end homelessness in this country.”
Bruni-Sarkozy made friends with a homeless man in her Paris neighbourhood. “She asks after me, she gives me one or two 50- or 100-euro notes,” said the man, who was identified only as “Denis”.
Bruni-Sarkozy also has offered to pay for him to stay in a hotel, he said.
“I refused. It’s not that I enjoy being in the street, but I’ve got my habits. People say it’s cold. That’s true, but I’m well covered up. What’s more, Carla gave me a military-type duvet, which keeps me warm. She’s a great lady, you know, Carla, even if she doesn’t appear to be.”
