Can you hear that? The susurrous whisper of a collective sight of royal relief? The Firm’s tradition of attending a service at Crathie Kirk is usually a heartwarming insight into the family’s annual reunion, and while the country swelled with support at the sight of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, in such high spirits in her Hicks & Brown fedora, a certain contingent of royal watchers were most dismayed to see one gutting omission from Prince William’s new summer style. Had the Prince of Wales scrapped the stubble? Had William binned the beard?
Fear not. Having first set pulses racing with his new look in a video singing the praises of Team GB from Anmer Hall in Norfolk, Prince William was again sporting some dashing facial hair at his first public engagement following his holiday in Balmoral. The Prince, beloved beard on show, got back to work with a mission very close to his heart, dedicating a day to touring the Homelessness: Reframed exhibition a the Saatchi Gallery.
The show, designed in collaboration with William’s charity, Homewards, aims to help the public better engage with the complexities of homelessness, encouraging understanding by showcasing the work of artists who have experienced, or been inspired by those with experience of, homelessness.
One such artist was an old friend of the Prince of Wales. Dave Martin, a Big Issue vendor who became homeless in 2011, has developed a close connection with the future king—the pair are known to exchange Christmas cards, and William once joined Martin to sell the magazine on the streets of London back in 2022. No wonder, then, that a warm reunion was on the cards for the pair.
“Dave, lovely to see you again. How have you been?” said William, shaking his friend’s hand and offering a jovial pat on the shoulder. The Prince is clearly au fait with Martin’s artistic stylings, immediately recognizing his contribution to the exhibition. The Prince pointed out his friend’s abstract art, which used geometrical shapes to represent aspects of his life, including a pathway and a roof over his head, before offering a fond farewell to Martin. The bond between the two is undeniable, with Martin even interviewing William for The Big Issue in 2022. In the candid piece, the then Duke of Cambridge reflected on why homelessness was so urgent an issue for him:
“I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem,” said William.
