Prince William, son volunteer at homelessness charity

Prince William took his eldest son, Prince George, to a homelessness charity in London and the couple helped prepare Christmas dinner for people in need, Kensington Palace said.

The visit was particularly poignant for heir-to-the-throne William because his late mother, Princess Diana, had taken him to the same charity when she was 11; It was an experience that inspired him to create a program aimed at ending homelessness.

During a trip to the charity’s The Passage centre, George signed the visitors’ book on the same page previously signed by Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 when William was 15.

Wearing aprons, 12-year-old George and his father worked in the kitchen, arranging food on baking trays while talking and laughing with the centre’s catering staff before heading outside to set long tables lined with napkins and Christmas crackers.

“It was important for the Prince of Wales to share the work of The Passage with Prince George and spend time volunteering with the team,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said.

“Both thoroughly enjoyed meeting staff, volunteers and service users, as well as learning more about the charity’s work.”

As well as trying to stop people becoming homeless, William also advocates for environmental causes and campaigns for greater openness about mental health issues.

William, his wife Kate and their three children are expected to spend Christmas at King Charles’ Sandringham estate in eastern England.