Prince William engaged in powerful conversation as he found himself moved by the stories of resilient women who had to go through homelessness.
The Prince of Wales, who launched his five-year plan to end homelessness, made a solo visit to Newport, Wales, just a day after the glamorous Buckingham Palace dinner with diplomats.
The future king met with fire chief, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who experienced homelessness as a teen. She introduced William to several women privately who shared their experiences with the royal.
“It’s really powerful to be able to see that. It was a really meaningful visit,” Cohen-Hatton told People Magazine. “He was quite moved.”
In a video clip released by Kensington Palace, William is seen eagerly asking around the table if all “relevant people” were present and encouraged to point out if someone was missing who should be at the table.
“Proud to be working with @HomewardsUK Advocate @dr_sab_cohenhatton,” William’s statement read. “Her experience of homelessness here in Newport and her advocacy on the issue is helping us make a real difference across our six locations.”
The message continued, “Today we saw how focusing support specifically on women’s homelessness will not only help support the women affected, but also provide learnings which can be implemented across Newport and beyond.”
Cohen-Hatton also shared that William’s presence in Newport “meant a lot to the women that met him.”
“They were quite nervous beforehand, but what a life experience [it is] for them to meet the prince, who’s interested in hearing their stories,” she said. “It’s important to reinforce how important it is to humanise people who are experiencing homelessness.”
