Prince William spotted selling 'Big Issue' on London streets

Some alert commuters see through disguise

Prince William was spotted in central London, discreetly selling Big Issue magazines. Photo: isanctuary.com

Prince William has been spotted on the streets of London selling copies of The Big Issue magazine usually sold by homeless people.

The Duke of Cambridge is a long-time champion of causes to help the UK’s homeless population and appeared to be undercover in Westminster on Thursday.

Some alert commuters and business people saw through the disguise, a week after he appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony as part of the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations.

Matthew Gardner wrote on LinkedIn: “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 unrecognised.

“The finale to this unique occasion was when Prince William asked my brother-in-law if he wanted to buy the ‘Big Issue’, to which he replied “I have no change”. At this point William produced a mobile card machine … you cannot teach that! Priceless, or should I say ‘Princely’.

Prince William’s role in homeless charities dates back years. In 1993, he and Prince Harry were taken by Princess Diana to visit a homeless shelter and in 2005 he became patron of Centrepoint.

The Big Issue was first published in 1991 to highlight the growing problems of homelessness and people sleeping rough in the UK. Homeless people also sell the magazine, giving them a chance to earn some money.

The mission today is to dismantle poverty by creating opportunity, through self-help, social trading and business solutions.

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