Proud dad moment

Wills takes George to homeless charity

- BY PATRICK HILL and RUSSELL MYERS Royal Editor

PRINCE William was a proud father as he took his eldest son to a homeless charity which he had visited as a child 32 years earlier with his mother Princess Diana.

Prince George, 12, helped to prepare a festive lunch for rough sleepers at the headquarters of The Passage.

George followed in his family's footsteps by adding his name to the visitor's book signed by both Diana and William during one of their first joint visits in December 1993, when William was 11.

Those experiences inspired the now-Prince of Wales to launch his own crusade to fight homelessness.

George was said to be fascinated at seeing his dad and late grandmother's signatures, saying: "Wow. OK"

Passage chief exec Mick Clarke said it was "a proud dad moment" for William, who told his son: "That's my mum."

Mr Clarke showed both princes around St Vincent's centre in Victoria, central London.

He told George: "We have got a number of things for you to help with. So it's time to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in." Mr Clarke later said: "He was well up for it. Absolutely. Very much like his dad in terms of he just wanted to crack on."

William was reunited with the shelter's head chef Claudette Dawkins, who featured in a documentary about homelessness with him last year.

Mr Clarke said: "William was doing the sprouts, putting them into big trays because they were going to be steamed. George was doing Yorkshire puddings.

"William is always very relaxed at The Passage. It feels like a family.