Prince William’s Heart for Continuing Princess Diana’s Legacy
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to face ridicule over failed Spotify deal and face ultimatum from Netflix
Over the last several years, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Prince William is thinking more and more about his mother, Princess Diana.
As his brother Prince Harry self-destructs and the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip weigh heavily on his heart, the Prince of Wales likely feels the hole left by his mother’s death more than ever, especially as he has outlived her by five years. But despite the recent challenges, Prince William wants to continue Princess Diana’s incredible legacy of service and empathy. He wants to make a real and positive impact on people’s lives, and to that end he’s launched a new project.
Homewards is his new five-year program aimed at addressing the issue of homelessness in United Kingdom, a notion that was close to the heart of his mother.
“This is something that means so much to him and it meant so much to his mother,” a royal source told The Telegraph.
“This isn’t just his legacy, it’s his mother’s legacy and he is committed to this.”
If successful, William hopes to see six communities, including one in London, on the path to housing all residents within five years. It’s an ambitious project, much like the Earthshot Prize, but more locally focused. This will be a huge advantage to the future king.
Seeing is believing. A republican movement is harder to grow if a royal is making a real and lasting impact on the lives of ordinary Britons. Seeing fewer struggling with homelessness and more getting the support and sometimes mental and physical help they need will be a powerful, public example of the impact of this new generation of royals.
It’s something that Diana would be beyond proud to see her son achieve, especially on the issue that was near to her heart, like homelessness.
Princess Diana famously was the patron of Centrepoint from 1992-1997, a homeless charity, and took her children William and Prince Harry to visit. After her tragic death, Prince William inherited the patronage from his mother.
The issue of homelessness is something he has discussed with his children as well. In his interview with The Sunday Times, William said, “When I left this morning, one of the things I was thinking was, ‘When is the right time to bring George or Charlotte or Louis to a homeless organisation?’ I think when I can balance it with their schooling, they will definitely be exposed to it. On the school run, we talk about what we see. When we were in London, driving backwards and forwards, we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets and we’d talk about it.
“I’d say to the children, ‘Why are they there? What’s going on?’ I think it’s in all our interests, it’s the right thing to do, to expose the children, at the right stage, in the right dialogue, so they have an understanding. They [will] grow up knowing that actually, do you know what, some of us are very fortunate, some of us need a little bit of a helping hand, some of us need to do a bit more where we can to help others improve their lives.”
Hopefully, his children will see their father finish their grandmother’s legacy.
According to reports, this project is something William has been thinking about for the last 10 years and actively planning the last two. Homewards will look to end homelessness by supporting “local partners to form locally led coalitions of committed individuals, organisations, and businesses who will work together to create and deliver a tailored plan to prevent homelessness in their areas.
“(It) is a five-year commitment. By the end of that period, we want our locations to be on a path to ending homelessness for good – making it rare, brief, and unrepeated. Our ambition is that this becomes business as usual, not just in these locations, but around the UK and beyond.”
From Monday to Tuesday, the Prince of Wales went to each of the six chosen communities, including:
Lambeth
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Newport
Northern Ireland
Aberdeen
Sheffield
He received a warm welcome at each stop. No doubt, Princess Diana would be incredibly proud to see her eldest son continuing her legacy.
Harry and Meghan face increased ridicule as Netflix reportedly issues ultimatum
The collapse of the Spotify deal continues to damage what remains of the Sussexes brand, with Prince Harry and especially Meghan Markle being left open to ridicule. The couple have been called “lazy”, “talentless” and “f—king grifters” by some of the most powerful forces in the entertainment industry.
And it also appears that Netflix has, reportedly, issued the couple an ultimatum. The talentless Harry and Meghan duo will have to come up with some “much watch” content to see the company pay the remainder of the contract. Though their documentary performed well, they still need more to see the near $100 million they were promised.
Most of this likely rests on the performance of “Heart of Invictus,” Prince Harry’s documentary on the Invictus Games, which will likely air in August in the lead up to the Düsseldorf games. If it doesn’t perform well, it’s possible that the streaming giant will eventually sever ties, especially as the couple are seemingly bereft of any artistic talent or creativity.
The only other project that’s currently in the works is a series focused on Miss. Havisham from the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations. They are going to change her characterization from that of an embittered spinster who is seeking revenge in reaction to her young heartbreak, to a “strong woman living in a patriarchal society.” (Sounds compelling🙄.) The show has a tentative title of “Bad Manners.” Given that the BBC already have a completed Great Expectations series, with famed Olivia Colman in the role at that, it seems rather unlikely that the show will be green lit.
Netflix is still publicly playing nice though, telling Entertainment Tonight (via Hello!) that "The bond with Archewell Productions is one we deeply value. Harry & Meghan launched as Netflix’s most spectacular documentary debut to date. Our exciting journey with them isn't ending anytime soon. We're currently collaborating on numerous projects, including the much-anticipated documentary series Heart of Invictus."
Sure, and The Flash is the “greatest superhero movie ever,” as James Gunn claimed (it’s not and it is bombing hard at the box office). The more they praise you in Hollywood, the more likely it is that they already have you one step out the door.
More Royal News…
King Charles and Queen Camilla recently visited eco-friendly village of Poundbury in the Duchy of Cornwall, which Charles managed for over 50 years. In a memorable moment, a group of people currently at Monart Spa met the King outside in their bathrobes. One of those robe clad spa enthusiasts Faye Harris said, "We were aware The King and Queen were coming this morning when we first turned up and did not expect to see them. The manager came up and said they were likely to be here around midday and would we like to pop our heads out of the window, not shake his hand in our bathrobes."
The Princess of Wales showed off her impressive tennis skills with Wimbledon winner Roger Federer while spending some time with the ball boys and girls in the lead up to the tournament, which begins July 3.
Catherine, The Princess of Wales, has opened the Young V&A Museum, which was previously called V&A Museum of Childhood. The Princess was surrounded by children from Global Primary School, a perfect age group as the museum is designed for children 0-14. Philippa Simpson, the V&A’s director of design, estate and public programme, told The Guardian: “It’s about stimulating creativity, curiosity and ingenuity. We want to encourage the next generation of designers, makers and doers – not be a nostalgia fest for parents.”
King Charles attended the launch of a climate clock at the Climate Innovation Forum at the Guildhall.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have officially vacated Frogmore Cottage, their former U.K. home. Now they’ll either have to rent a home or stay in a hotel, or ask the King if there’s a place they can stay on Palace property when visiting the U.K.
Queen Letizia of Spain showed off her impressive gym physique with the members of Spain’s women’s football team before the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. The Queen said, “Rest assured that you take to those lands so far away the affection of a whole country that is truly by your side. So thank you very much and good luck.”
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attended a meeting with the National Coalition for Financial Health in Uden. She went on to visit De Berkenschutse, which is a home and facility for people with complex epilepsy, sleep disorders and neurological learning and developmental disorders.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgian hosted members of the European Parliament at Castle of Laeken. It’s an event to commemorate 70 years since the Parliament’s formation.
Former King Albert of the Belgians is currently hospitalized with dehydration. The former King, 89, abdicated 10 years ago in favor of his son after it was revealed that he had fathered a daughter out of wedlock. She sued for her royal title and won, though it cost her father the crown.
As Prince Christian will soon turn 18, the future Crown Prince will focus on continuing his education before taking a salary from the state, which will probably change when he turns 21. A similar decision was made regarding The Princess of Orange, Catharina-Amalia, in the Netherlands.
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands has turned 18 and the palace released a series of pictures commemorating her birthday. She has also been given the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion and Knight of the House Order of the Golden Lion, in addition to her own standard. The Princess will join her sister and parents at the upcoming Prinsjesdag in September, which Royal News Network is planning to cover.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband are postponing their move from the United States by a year. The couple claim that the move is too rushed and they want to take more time, which has raised some eyebrows as the couple announced the move months ago. Madeleine and her family have lived in southern Florida for the last several years, but the move was always temporary as the Swedish constitution requires that those in line for the throne are raised and educated in Sweden. Madeleine and her family were given a bit of a reprieve, but they will have to return if they want their children to remain in the Swedish line-of-succession.
Look of the Week…
Crown Princess Victoria is often a miss when it comes to fashion, but this shirt dress was a lovely surprise. It’s from By Malina, a Scandinavian brand dedicated to fashioning “investment pieces,” it’s classically elegant with some interesting detailing around the hem of the dress. She was at Stockholm City Hall to dedicate a piece of artwork for the 100th anniversary of it’s opening.
Upcoming…
The royal watching will begin in earnest on July 3 at Wimbledon, as often a variety of both major and minor royals make appearances at the event. Last year, Prince George made his Wimbledon debut with his parents, the now Prince and Princess of Wales.
A celebration for King Charles’ Coronation will occur in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 5. The Prince and Princess of Wales, known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland (a title they automatically inherited after Charles became King), are scheduled to attend as well.
Whatever ridicule these two receive it is well deserved