Prince William Says Princess Diana Would Be "Disappointed" by the Ongoing Homelessness Crisis

Following in the footsteps of his mother, Princess Diana, Prince William is continuing to crusade for unhoused people in England. According to People, the Prince of Wales said that his late mother would be "upset" and "disappointed" with the lack of progress that has been made to help what the magazine referred to as "street sleepers and others without homes." William teamed up with Comic Relief to film a segment for a telethon set to air this Friday to shine a light on the current homelessness situation and encourage viewers to help.

"My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I'm really glad she did," William said. "I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it than when she was interested and involved in it."

In the clip, which was shared on YouTube today, William pays a visit to Groundswell, an organization that Comic Relief is supporting this year, to film a video with two people who have received help from the charity as part of Groundswell's Listen Up! initiative.

"I'm here really kind of to learn a bit more from you both, to hear a bit more about your lived experiences of homelessness," William says to Nawshin and Miles in the clip.

William continues to make homelessness a major element of his public work. He has even adopted two charities, Centrepoint and The Passage, which hold special meaning to him and his family. Diana was a patron of Centrepoint and she took her sons to The Passage when they were young to expose them to the charity and the work they do for homeless people. Comic Relief notes that homelessness in England has risen by a staggering 26% in the past year as the country confronts its ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The organization adds that the statistics may skew low, because they can't account for "people staying with family and friends, couch surfing or living in unsuitable housing such as squats or sheds."

The CEO of Comic Relief Samir Patel thanked everyone making an effort to help — and specifically William — in a statement which read, "We believe those who are closest to the issues have the best solutions and we're proud to be supporting Groundswell's important work to enable people facing such difficulties to not only be heard but be part of finding new ways to tackle homelessness. Our huge thanks go to Prince William, Nawshin and Miles for helping to raise awareness of this worsening issue and raise much-needed funds at such a crucial time."