By David Young-
Friendly Prince William has been spotted selling copies of The Big Issue in central London. The Duke Of Cambridge was pictured in an official Big Issue red baseball cap and red gilet-style jacket holding the magazine in the Westminster area of the capital on Wednesday afternoon.
The Duke of Cambridge was spotted in Westminster by a relative of retired Met Police Chief Superintendent Matthew Gardner, who posted pictures online.
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Mr Gardner, a retired chief superintendent with the Metropolitan Police who now works with asset-tracing company Intelligent Sanctuary, praised William for being “humble”.
Sharing the pictures on LinkedIn, he wrote: “What an honour to have a private moment with our future king who was humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy.”
William has worked to raise awareness of how serious issues such a homelessness can affect young people, according to the Royal Family website.
Writing on Linkedin he said: “My brother-in-law was in London today and saw a celebrity, so he took a photo at a distance.
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“The celebrity saw the ‘covert surveillance’ effort and crossed the road to investigate further.
“What an honour to have a private moment with our future king who was humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy.
“These ‘silent gestures’ often go unrecognized.”
The second in line to the throne was in Rochester Row on Wednesday afternoon, not far from Buckingham Palace, humbly standing on the side of the road with a homeless person.
A picture posted on LinkedIn shows the Duke of Cambridge in a red waistcoat worn by Big Issue sellers, and a red cap.
Richard Hannant, a property manager, was on his way back to the office when he spotted the Queen’s grandson among a small group of people.
Mr Hannant, 47, said he tried to take a picture from a distance but then realised William was walking towards him.
“He was amazing, he was so friendly,” Mr Hannant said.
I think what struck me is we’ve just got past a massive Jubilee event and days later he’s out there supporting a charity like Big Issue. The 47-year-old, who lives in Bath but works in London, said he tried to take a picture from a distance but then noticed William was walking towards him.
He told the PA news agency: “He was amazing, he was so friendly.”
William asked him if he wanted to buy a copy of The Big Issue and produced a card payment machine when Mr Hannant realised he had no cash.
He said: “I think what struck me is we’ve just got past a massive Jubilee event and days later he’s out there supporting a charity like Big Issue.
“I think it’s that that I thought was most amazing because one is a worldwide event, this is just a low-key (event), literally standing on the side of the road with a homeless person.
“I was quite amazed that he could go from one massive event to such a low-key thing.”
Mr Hannant told the duke they share the same birthday, June 21, to which William replied “happy birthday”, before the pair got a picture together.
He is patron of Centrepoint, a national charity providing accommodation and support for socially excluded, homeless young people.
The Big Issue was launched in 1991 in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of the capital.
It offers people in need the chance to earn an income by selling the magazine to the public.
The Duke of Cambridge was spotted in Westminster by a relative of retired Met Police Chief Superintendent Matthew Gardner, who posted pictures online.
Writing on Linkedin he said: “My brother-in-law was in London today and saw a celebrity, so he took a photo at a distance.
“The celebrity saw the ‘covert surveillance’ effort and crossed the road to investigate further.
“What an honour to have a private moment with our future king who was humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy.
“These ‘silent gestures’ often go unrecognized.”
Prince William asked Mr Gardner’s brother-in-law if he wanted to buy a copy of the Big Issue, to which he replied “I have no change”.
The Duke of Cambridge then produced a mobile card machine to complete the successful sale to help support the homeless.
The Big Issue is a magazine focused on social issues, which offers opportunities to people who are homeless or at-risk the opportunity to work as street vendors and earn an income.
Mr Hannant told the duke they share the same birthday – June 21. William replied “happy birthday” and the pair got a picture together.
Mr Hannant’s brother-in-law, retired Met Police officer Matthew Gardner, posted his own reflections on LinkedIn.
Mr Gardner said it had been “an honour” for Mr Hannant to have a “private moment with our future king”.
William was “humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy”, he added.
“These ‘silent gestures’ often go unrecognized,” Mr Gardner observed.
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