The Prince of Wales traded royal protocol for a moving van this week, personally carrying furniture up three flights of stairs to help furnish a new flat in Aberdeen. The hands-on visit marked the third anniversary of his ambitious Homewards initiative, which aims to make homelessness "rare, brief and unrepeated" across the United Kingdom.

William was seen smiling as he delivered a wooden chair to a one-bedroom property on the outskirts of the city, working alongside staff from Langstane Housing Association. The future king also helped assemble care packages filled with essential household items, ensuring new tenants would feel a sense of welcome from the moment they stepped through the door.

The Aberdeen flat is one of 32 homes completed through the Homewards Aberdeen Innovative Housing Project, which focuses on supporting single adults and young people experiencing relationship breakdown. Furniture and appliances, including items donated by IKEA and other retail partners, transformed the empty spaces into move-in-ready homes.

During his visit, William took time to meet new resident Erin, who told him she felt "safe and secure" in her new surroundings. "Having somewhere to call my own makes such a difference to how I see everything," she said. The prince also shared a light moment with Langstane CEO Helen Gauld, joking about his bald patch after mishearing "air fryers" as "hairdryers".

In a major speech delivered earlier at London's Tate Modern, William reflected on the progress made since launching Homewards in 2023. He announced that the initiative has helped more than 73 people into stable housing, supported over 250 individuals into employment, and reached thousands more before they reached crisis point.

"These aren't just statistics," the prince said. "They are people who have a home, a job, and a future that looked very different only a few years ago."

Homewards operates across six locations: Aberdeen, Newport, Lambeth, Belfast, Sheffield, and the Dorset towns of Poole, Bournemouth, and Christchurch. Over the past three years, the initiative has invested £1.9 million through its fund, with an additional £3.5 million leveraged through grants and private philanthropy. A further £2.3 million worth of surplus goods has been used to furnish properties.

The campaign carries deep personal significance for William, who has spoken about how visiting homeless shelters with his late mother, Princess Diana, during his childhood left a lasting impression and inspired his commitment to the cause. As he assembled welcome packs and moved furniture, the prince emphasized that creating a home involves far more than providing four walls and a roof.

"All that makes them feel like it's a home, not somewhere they've got to stay," he remarked.