by bintangkecil on Saturday, December 26th, 2009 | News, Weird, World

The British royal Prince William spent a freezing night near Blackfriars Bridge last week with Seyi Obakin, the chief executive of British homeless charity Centrepoint. William has been the charity’s patron since 2005.

“I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets,” the prince said after his night time escapade.

“I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London’s streets night after night. Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless. Centrepoint’s work - along with many other organisations’ - in tackling these fundamental causes is desperately important if we are ever to end homelessness in this country.”

Obakin and the prince found a secluded spot down an alleyway and bedded down, somewhat hidden by some nearby garbage bins.

Both of them stayed out in the cold until 6 a.m. when they went to a Centrepoint hostel to mark the charity’s 40th anniversary. The prince helped prepare breakfast and met with some of the homeless the charity helps.

Centrepoint was a charity close to the heart of William’s mother, Princess Diana. She had also been its patron and had taken William along with his younger brother Harry to one of its shelters in 1996.

Tags: british homeless charity, british homeless charity centrepoint, Prince William, prince william charity, prince williams sleeps on the street, Princess Diana, seyi obakin