Brothers have an uncanny ability to compete with each other. It is further complicated when there is family tension and estrangement, which is the case with royal brothers Prince William and Prince Harry. On Thursday, September 7, 2023, both brothers stepped out to support charitable causes. It is hard to imagine William did not purposely schedule his event on the same day his little brother returned to the United Kingdom.
William traveled to Bournemouth to support his Homewards campaign, which is aimed at helping to end homelessness. Prince Harry attended the annual awards gala for WellChild, a nonprofit that serves seriously ill children and their families. It is not believed the brothers will meet during Harry’s visit.
Until September 7, Prince William and his family had been on summer vacation. They even spent time with extended family members at Balmoral in Scotland, just like the late Queen Elizabeth did. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis had their first day at Lambrook School on September 6.
William rolled up his sleeves and got to work preparing food in a kitchen. He visited a local branch of British sandwich chain Pret A Manger and also spoke to businesses he is partnering with in his Homewards campaign. He began this project in June.
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Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole are three of six flagship Homeward locations utilizing local initiatives to battle homelessness. William’s ambitious five-year plan seeks to prove it is possible to end homelessness through collaboration with all sectors of society. He believes it can be “rare, brief and unrepeated.”
William hopes this project will succeed and spread around the world. He wants to share the solutions with others. For its part, Pret A Manger committed to expand its Rising Stars program to help support 500 at-risk individuals with jobs over the next five years.
Prince William also got a commitment from soccer club Bournemouth AFC to extend its "Bounce Back" pilot program. It helps vulnerable adults become independent through education. William spent time with Bournemouth player Lloyd Kelly to learn about the program.
Matt James, WellChild chief executive, spoke about how much Prince Harry’s attendance and patronage means to the organization. It is one of the few he retained from his life as a working royal. “This was the first time in four years that he has been able to take part in this way,” Matt explained. “We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for his support.”
“We talk a lot about how we punch above our weight as we are a small team doing a lot of good work at a high level, and we wouldn’t be where we are without the work the Duke has done to help us fundraise, attract supporters and providing a platform to shine a light on the issues being faced by families up and down the country,” Matt continued. “Also for the hundreds of smiles he has put on faces of WellChild Award winners over the years. It’s such a boost for us.”
Prince Harry spent time with each of the award winners and their families. He also presented an award and gave a speech.
“Tonight is about providing them with a moment they will never ever forget and about providing them with recognition that they don’t often get. What these children and their carers do is often unseen and the Duke’s presence there provides a huge lift,” Matt explained.
The last time Harry was in the country was in early June to testify against the Mirror Group Newspapers. The media company is facing allegations of unlawful information gathering. Harry will travel from London to attend the Invictus Games in Germany. It is not believed that he will visit his family while he is in the UK.
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