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Prince William is feeling “very relaxed” about his decision to travel overnight, a first for the Prince of Wales since his wife Kate Middleton was diagnosed with cancer.
William set out to the southwest of England Thursday to visit the Duchy of Cornwall’s housing project focused on helping homelessness.
Royal expert Ian Pelham told Fox News Digital “Homeward, the charity for homeless people, is very much at the heart of what William wishes to drive forward and, in reality, is only a short flight away if Kate had any sudden issues.
“As the Prince of Wales, he also inherits the Duchy of Cornwall, where he is staying overnight in the county.
Prince William embarked on his first overnight trip since Kate Middleton revealed her cancer diagnosis in March. (Getty Images)
“I know through contacts close to William working with him on the project that he works tirelessly every day to make the rough sleepers project work,” Pelham said. “There are several sites around the country which he hopes will be developed to offer rough sleepers support.
“Obviously, William feels that Kate is on the mend now, and he has been very relaxed leaving London and seen in Cornwall.”
Kate Middleton announced to the world she had cancer in a pre-recorded message shared earlier in March. (The Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter)
According to Pelham, William is likely to announce more visits, including “the involvement of one of the richest men in Britain.”
William’s two-day trip to Newquay marks his first overnight trip since the Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis and announced she began chemotherapy treatment in March.
In February, William announced his plan to build 24 new homes for people experiencing housing difficulties in Cornwall, England.
Prince William paid a visit to Fistral Beach in Newquay in Cornwall, southwest England, Thursday. (Toby Melville/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince William played volleyball during his visit to Newquay in Cornwall, southwest England. (Toby Melville/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital learned at the time that land for the homes would be provided by the royal’s Duchy of Cornwall estate. The development is expected to begin in September of this year, and the first homes will be completed by fall 2025.
The campaign is part of the 41-year-old’s five-year goal to end homelessness in the U.K. Last year, the father of three said he wants to make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated.”
The Duchy of Cornwall is teaming up with St Petrocs, a local Cornish charity, to build homes in Nansledan, Newquay, in the far southwest of England. It will cost nearly $4 million (£3 million). William and the Duchy will also provide the design and development management expertise.
Prince William is “very relaxed” with his first overnight trip away from Kate Middleton, according to royal expert Ian Pelman. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
“As one of his key priorities for the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince William asked us to address the homelessness challenge within Cornwall and other areas where the estate resides,” Ben Murphy, estate director at the Duchy of Cornwall, said in a statement to Fox News Digital in February.
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“The shortage of social rent and private rented properties are widely considered to be the main causes of increasing homelessness across the country, which is why we are proud to launch this project alongside ambitious plans to unlock more affordable and attainable homes across our estate,” he added.
Prince William’s initiative, known as Homewards, was created to help the homeless in southwest England. (Getty Images)
William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate, which is worth a reported $1 billion, when he became the Prince of Wales upon the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. England’s longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96.
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Historically, the Duchy provides an income to the heir of the British throne to support him and his family, as well as to pay for his public duties and staff costs, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, it provides an estimated $30 million in income for William, his wife Middleton and their three children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Prince William and Kate Middleton share Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. (BBC Children in Need/Comic Relief via Getty Images)
William’s initiative, known as Homewards, hopes to learn from the example of countries such as Finland, which has virtually eliminated homelessness, in part by ensuring that people in crisis receive permanent housing as a first step before trying to address other issues such as substance abuse, the royal said last year.
The prince said he first learned about homelessness when he visited shelters with his mother, Princess Diana, when he was 11. Like his mother, William became a patron of the Centrepoint charity in London. In 2009, he joined its sleep-out in London. Last year, on his 40th birthday, he sold copies of The Big Issue, which supports the homeless, on the streets of London wearing a baseball cap.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to janelle.ash@fox.com.
