Prince William reflects on special moment with mum for 40th birthday

Prince William has shared a special memory with his mother, Princess Diana, for a special edition of The Big Issue, out now.

The edition celebrates Prince William's 40th birthday today.

In the magazine, he writes about his first experience visiting a homeless shelter with his mother when he was just 11, and the impact it had on his life.

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"I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem," the royal writes.

He continues: "In the 30-odd years since, I've seen countless projects in this space grow from strength to strength, including charities of which I have had the honour of being Patron. New initiatives have been launched up and down the country – some have worked, some have not. But The Big Issue, perhaps now the most immediately recognisable of these organisations, has undeniably had an impact."

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Ahead of his 40th birthday, the Duke of Cambridge joined magazine vendor Dave Martin, 60, to sell the publication, sharing his experience on social media.

He writes: "I wanted to experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor. My time was truly eye opening. I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling.

"I plan to do that now I'm turning 40, even more than I have in the past," he continues. "So, for my part, I commit to continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come."

The Big Issue is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and creating work opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. It operates in several countries including the UK and Australia.

Only a few days after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, HRH The Duke of Cambridge sold the magazine on Rochester Row, close to Victoria in London with Martin. Together that afternoon they sold 32 copies.

They then visited The Passage, a homelessness charity nearby that supports people who are street homeless or at risk of homelessness, of which the Duke became a Patron in 2019.

It was to The Passage that Princess Diana brought her young sons to give them an insight into the challenges faced by people on the margins.

The Duke and Dave then interviewed each other about their Big Issue selling experience, homelessness, how the Jubilee brought the country together and much more.

The conversation is available to read in The Big Issue magazine and website.

When The Duke asked Dave what The Big Issue had done for him, he said: "It got me off the street. Gave me respect. I was begging at the time. Another vendor said I could be doing something a lot better and took me along to the Big Issue office."

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The Duke added: "People who are homeless can't rebuild their life without a number of things. And one of those things is respect and self-respect. And that's what The Big Issue gives you, along with a means to earn an income."

Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue, said: "I met with Prince William and told him how I myself had been homeless and got out of grief by being imprisoned and then went on to start The Big Issue. We need to do everything we can to get the millions of people in the UK out of poverty for good. We need more emphasis on prevention and cure, not just all the support and effort going into emergency relief.

"The scale of interest in William selling The Big Issue has been enormous. And it puts our vendors and their sterling work in the public eye again. Anyone can sell The Big Issue, even a Prince!"

Mick Clarke, CEO of The Passage, said: "We were delighted to host our Royal Patron, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, for this special interview with Dave and The Big Issue. The Duke has visited The Passage on many occasions over the years to meet our clients and raise awareness and support for people affected by homelessness. We were especially pleased to welcome Dave as a former Passage client and very proud to see how he has moved on in life.

"As The Duke mentions in the interview, the 'Everyone In' programme showed that when society works together, we can truly make progress towards ending street homelessness – which simply should not exist in 21^st century Britain. The Passage stands alongside The Duke, The Big Issue and many others who are working hard in the fight to end homelessness."

This special edition of The Big Issue magazine is out now.