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 traveled to southwest England on Thursday to visit the Duchy of Cornwall's housing project focused on helping the homeless.
Royal expert Ian Pelham told Fox News Digital “Homeward, the homeless charity, is at the heart of what William wants to advance and, in reality, is only a short flight away if Kate was having sudden problems.
“As Prince of Wales, he also inherits the Duchy of Cornwall, where he spends the night in the county.
Prince William has embarked on his first overnight trip since Kate Middleton revealed her cancer diagnosis in March. (Getty Images)
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“I know from close contacts of William working with him on the project that he works tirelessly every day to make the homeless project work,” Pelham said. “There are several sites across the country which he hopes will be developed to offer support to the homeless.
“Obviously William feels that Kate is on the mend now, and he has been very relaxed leaving London and in Cornwall.”
Kate Middleton announced to the world that she had cancer in a pre-recorded message shared earlier in March. (Twitter of the Prince and Princess of Wales)
According to Pelham, William is likely to announce further visits, including “the involvement of one of Britain's richest men”.
William's two-day trip to Newquay marks his first overnight trip since the Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis and announced she had started chemotherapy treatment in March.
In February, William announced plans to build 24 new homes for people experiencing housing difficulties in Cornwall, England.
Prince William visited Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, southwest England, on Thursday. (Toby Melville/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince William played volleyball during his visit to Newquay, Cornwall, southwest England. (Toby Melville/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital learned at the time that the land for the homes would be provided by the Royal Estate of the Duchy of Cornwall. Development is expected to begin in September this year and the first homes will be completed by fall 2025.
The campaign is part of The 41-year five-year goal to end homelessness in the UK Last year, the father-of-three said he wanted to make homelessness “rare, brief and without repetition”.
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 almost $4 million (£3 million). William and the Duchy will also provide design and development management expertise.
Prince William is “very relaxed” on 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 has asked us to address the challenge of homelessness in Cornwall and other areas where the estate resides,” said Ben Murphy, property director of the Duchy of Cornwall, in a statement to Fox. Digital News in February.
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“The shortage of social rent and private rental properties is widely seen as the main cause of rising homelessness across the country. That’s why we are proud to launch this project alongside ambitious plans to unlock more affordable and accessible housing in our area,” he added.
Prince William's initiative, known as Homewards, was created to help homeless people in the southwest of England. (Getty Images)
William inherited the Duchy of Cornwall estate, worth an estimated $1 billion, when he became Prince of Wales upon the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. England's longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at the age of 96.
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Historically, the duchy provides income to the heir to the British throne to support himself and his family, as well as to pay for his public duties and personnel costs, People magazine reported. According to the media, this represents an estimated income of $30 million 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 like Finland, which have virtually eliminated homelessness, in part by ensuring that people in crisis receive permanent housing in first before trying to resolve other problems such as drug addiction. , the royal said last year.
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The prince said he first learned about homelessness while visiting shelters. with her mother, Princess Diana, when he was 11 years old. Like his mother, William became a patron of the charity Centrepoint in London. In 2009, he joined his sleep-out in London. Last year, to mark his 40th birthday, he sold copies of The Big Issue, which supports the homeless, on the streets of London, wearing a baseball cap.
Stephanie Nolasco of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.