Prince William has just shown the Royal Family's true worth - and Diana would be proud

Princess Diana would be proud of her son’s endeavours to tackle homelessness. William has long spoken about his late mother’s influence on his commitment to tackling the societal issue, describing her as the “inspiration and guidance” behind his work. She was the one who took the prince to a homeless shelter when he was 11, and had been discussing the issue with him at home years earlier. William now does this with his three children, as he wants to instil empathy in them for those facing hardship. He has spent decades studying the root causes of homelessness, which prompted him to launch his Homewards project as a practical way to prevent it. Unveiling the initiative three years ago, William spoke of his aim to demonstrate that it is possible to end homelessness by making it rare, brief and unrepeated. Three years in, and the project is already transforming lives and proving that early intervention can prevent people from ending up on the streets. The prince is helping to turn the issue on its head. It’s not about helping those already at crisis point, sleeping rough and with nowhere to turn. It’s about stepping in at the earliest opportunity and showing that homelessness isn’t inevitable - far from it. His project is about understanding the systemic factors behind it - poverty, discrimination, and the lack of genuinely affordable housing - and bringing communities, global companies, and private investors together to help solve these problems. Homewards is about building a blueprint that can be used across the UK to help tackle the issue once and for all. Other countries are already watching with interest and hoping to emulate William’s example. The project is just one of many examples of the power of royal influence and the difference that bringing a commanding voice to an issue can make. Homeless charities were right to be excited when the project launched three years ago. He’s helped bring homelessness out in the open and, just like his mother, he’s helping to reduce the stigma and change how homelessness is understood. Diana may have been the driving force behind William’s work in the area, but it's his empathy, determination and voice that is making the real difference today.