The Prince of Wales made an emotional confession on Tuesday when he paid a solo visit to Newport, south Wales, to hear about the city’s efforts to tackle homelessness, particularly among vulnerable women.
The future King, 42, met several women and staff at the Nelson Trust, a support service that works across Wales, Bristol and surrounding areas. In a conversation, with 32-year-old care assistant Rebecca, William heard how she had been in foster care and was living on the streets at 16 before attempting suicide following the deaths of both her partner and her father.
© WPA PoolRebecca told William how she has "broken the cycle," and despite living on a broken "housing estate" has started studying for her degree in Psychology. "I have broken the cycle. I never had support as a child growing up".
After hearing her story, William said: “You seem like a force of nature, Rebecca. We need more Rebeccas in the world.
"What you have been through, you have been through more things than people go through in their entire lifetimes.
© WPA Pool"You have done amazingly well. I’m not sure I would come out of the other side like you."
William met with businesses, charities and organisations including Newport City Home, Newport City Council, Newport Live, Pobl, Dick Lovett and Public Health Wales.
He heard about the work they are doing to support efforts to end women’s homelessness.
Speaking to a table discussing early intervention, William spoke of the need to understand and humanise issues of homelessness and “change the narrative, lose the stigma".
He said: "It is how do we break down and give you the freedom to do things differently?
"That’s the bit I think I can be – the slight disruptor here – and say to you all to think differently, outside the box because this is unique what you’re doing."
