Prince William Doesn’t Want His Kids to Exist “In Their Own Little Worlds” When it Comes to Privilege

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis might live very privileged lives as the sons and daughter of the future King and Queen, but in his new documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, he shared that teaching his kids about those less fortunate is something he considers crucial as a parent.

In the two-part show, the Prince of Wales shares more about his ongoing quest to end the homelessness crisis for good, and that includes how he's approaching the subject with his three children.

"When I was very small, my mother started talking about homelessness, much like I do with my children now on the school run," he said in the first episode. Princess Diana frequently took William and brother Prince Harry to come to homelessness charities like The Passage and Centrepoint, and the Prince of Wales said this instilled a lifelong passion in him to help the homeless.

These early visits "had a big impact" on the young prince, who said he thinks "it’s important to introduce the conversations when they are small," as he's doing with his own kids. The Prince of Wales revealed that he's started to teach George, 11, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6, about the concept of homelessness.

Noting that at first "there was sort of silence," Prince William said "you could see their brains trying to work out what it means." He added that it was "important" to him for his kids to realize "they’re not just living in their own little worlds."

As for his own first visit to The Passage in 1993, the royal—who now serves as the charity's patron—said he was "anxious" at first, but his mother made the experience a positive one. "She took Harry and I both there. I must have been about 11, I think, probably, at the time," William said, adding he had "never been to anything like that before."

Princess Diana eased William into the visit, with the Prince of Wales noting that his mom "went about her usual part of making everyone feel relaxed, and having a laugh and joking with everyone."

As for the Wales children, it wouldn't be surprising if Prince George joined his dad in his work to fight homelessness soon enough; he's the same age Prince William was when he first visited The Passage.