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Summary

  • The Prince of Wales has met families and organisations in Sheffield as part of his project, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards, which works to end homelessness

  • His appearance comes after the Sun newspaper published a video of his wife, Catherine, visiting a farm shop in Windsor with William

  • The Princess of Wales is recovering from surgery and is expected to return to public duties after Easter

  • William did not comment on Kate's health during the visit but when the subject of childhood came up, he said: "We're venturing into my wife's territory. She needs to be sat here."

Live Reporting

Edited by Emily McGarvey

  1. Thanks for joining us

    Britain's William, Prince of Wales speaks with Maisy Lee, a nurse attending the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards Sheffield Local Coalition meeting, at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield, Britain, March 19, 2024Reuters

    We're going to be ending our live coverage of Prince William's visit to Sheffield soon. If you need a reminder of what happened earlier, here are the key things to know:

    • The Prince of Wales visited Sheffield to promote his ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards initiative, aimed at tackling homelessness
    • The trip has been largely overshadowed by speculation and conspiracy theories in recent weeks related to his wife Kate's health
    • Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been recovering from abdominal surgery and is expected to return to public duties after Easter
    • William didn't mention his wife's health, but he did note Kate's work on addressing social issues linked with early childhood
    • When the subject of childhood arose, William said: "We're venturing into my wife's territory. She needs to be sat here"
    • William visited a community space in a disadvantaged area of Sheffield to meet landlords and other organisations who support his homelessness project

    You can read more on this story here.

  2. William listens to stories of people tackling homelessness

    Britain's William, Prince of Wales speaks with a delegate after attending the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards Sheffield Local Coalition meeting at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield, Britain, March 19, 2024Reuters

    Prince William also visited the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield city centre, where he listened to the stories of people who have been homeless and are now working to help others in the area.

    William praised the bravery of one man who told the royal that he had left the Royal Navy with post traumatic stress disorder and suffered with drug and alcohol issues before going to prison.

    Addressing the veteran, who works with the Sheffield-based Cathedral Archer Project for homelessness, William said: "Can I just say how brave you are to be here and talk about your story?"

    The veteran later told the press: "Wow. Not what I expected. He was really nice man and he really listens, which took me back a little. I liked him."

  3. What else did William say on his visit today?

    The Prince of Wales sought to use his visit to Sheffield to promote one of his most important projects - ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards, a five-year scheme across six locations in the UK, launched last year to try and tackle homelessness.

    William sat down at a community space in a disadvantaged area of Sheffield with landlords working in the city and other organisations who support ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards.

    Speaking to Sheffield City Council's executive director Ajman Ali, William asked: "Does something like ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards allow you the space to help in this area?

    "I'm hoping that ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards comes along (and can) lift that pressure off you, bring more people into the mix and allow you to then able to plan and see something further down the line."

    Prince William on a visit to SheffieldGetty Images
  4. Analysis

    Anti-monarchy group brands homeless project a PR campaign

    Sean Coughlan
    Royal correspondent

    Prince William’s project to tackle homelessness is certainly ambitious.

    In cities like Sheffield all the signs are that it’s getting worse rather than better.

    He also knows he’ll face challenges over the initiative, with questions about whether someone with so many homes should be running a campaign about homelessness.

    The anti-monarchy group Republic has accused this of being a PR campaign, and that homelessness is a political problem needing a political response.

  5. Analysis

    William's homeless project overshadowed by conspiracy theories

    Sean Coughlan
    Royal correspondent

    The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards project to help tackle homelessness is close to the prince’s heart, it’s one of his flagship schemes.

    So it’s going to be frustrating for him that today’s big push in Sheffield is going to be overshadowed by the release of the video clips of Catherine.

    It’s been like that since the beginning of the year, with the questions about Catherine’s health, and the howl-round of conspiracy theories, drowning out William’s other projects.

    It could take another while before that changes – maybe not until after Easter and the princess is back on public duties again.

  6. William mentions Kate during visit to homeless project

    Britain's William, Prince of Wales reacts as he attends a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards Sheffield Local Coalition meeting at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield, Britain March 19, 2024.Reuters

    As we've been reporting, Prince William is visiting housing initiatives in Sheffield today to promote his homelessness project.

    William has not commented on his wife Kate's health during the visit, after she had abdominal surgery earlier this year and has been spending time in recovery.

    His only reference to his wife came after the subject of the early years of childhood came up, prompting the prince to say: "We're venturing into my wife's territory. She needs to be sat here."

  7. In pictures: William visits housing initiative in Sheffield

    We're getting in images now of the Prince of Wales during his visit to housing initiatives in Sheffield, where he met with families who have experienced homelessness and community representatives taking part in the projects.

    Here are a few of the best images from his trip:

    Prince William is shown a poster on which 'what makes a house a home' is written in black font. Post-it notes surround the textPA Media

    Sheffield is one of six locations for William's ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards initiative - a project aimed at helping to end homelessness

    Image of Prince William, who is standing with his arms slightly bent and hands held outrightReuters

    The event was staged at a community space called The Learning Zone in north-east Sheffield

    Prince William pictured standing with his hands collapsed together while engaged in conversation with three othersReuters

    The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwards initiative is Prince William's "flagship project". He takes a close personal interest in how its local partnerships are developing, a royal source says

    William is pictured mid-sentence sitting at a black table alongside two menReuters

    The project has received support from some of Sheffield's landlords, with 33 three and four-bedroom properties being made available for "families on the brink of or experiencing homelessness"

  8. Timeline of Kate's recovery

    The Princess of Wales has not been seen publicly since December, with Kensington Palace announcing in January that she would be stepping back from public duties until Easter to recover from surgery.

    Now, a new photo showing the princess shopping with the Prince of Wales at the weekend in Windsor has made headlines around the world.

    Let's take a look at the events leading up to this point:

    17 January: Kensington Palace says Catherine will be staying in hospital for up to two weeks following abdominal surgery. The specific details of her procedure are not disclosed

    18 January: The Prince of Wales visits Catherine in hospital, where she is said to be "doing well"

    8 February: William returns to public duties after stepping away to support his family during Catherine's recovery. He leads an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle then expresses gratitude for "the kind messages of support" at a charity dinner for London's Air Ambulance

    10 March: Kensington Palace releases the first official photo of Catherine since her abdominal surgery. The photo, taken by William to mark Mother's Day, shows the princess sitting down, surrounded by Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George. Later that day, several international agencies that distributed the photo, including Reuters and Associated Press, issue a "kill notification" over concerns it had been "manipulated"

    11 March: Catherine apologises "for any confusion" and says she edited the photograph. "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she says on X

    18 March: of Catherine on a shopping trip with William near their home, taken from a video clip supplied by a member of the public

  9. Where are the new pictures of Catherine?

    As we have reported, the Sun has published new pictures of the Prince and Princess of Wales shopping in Windsor.

    The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ does not have the rights to show those pictures in online stories. But we are able to broadcast them - they will appear as part of the coverage if you click play at the top of the page.

  10. Analysis

    Video of Catherine suggests she is back on her feet - so why is the Palace silent?

    Sean Coughlan
    ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News royal correspondent

    The pictures of Prince William and Catherine, published by the Sun, are the first video images of the princess since her abdominal surgery in January.

    The unexpected appearance of the House of Windsor in the Windsor farm shop shows that she’s back on her feet and looking smiling and relaxed.

    Until now we’ve seen a grainy photo of the princess in a car - and that pin-sharp but hotly disputed picture for Mother’s Day - which only added to the mood of febrile uncertainty about her health.

    This video, although unconfirmed by Kensington Palace, suggests something much more optimistic and everyday, than the wild and outlandish claims being made on social media.

    We’re told the video was taken by a member of the public. The royal couple could hardly have expected to wander down to their local shop without being spotted.

    But part of the reluctance of Kensington Palace to confirm what would otherwise be a positive story is the thorny question it raises about privacy. It could set a difficult precedent for a couple wanting to protect as much as possible of normal family life.

  11. William visits Sheffield after new photo of Kate published

    William at the event in Yorkshire earlier today

    William at the event in Yorkshire earlier today

    Welcome to our coverage of the Prince of Wales’s visit to Sheffield, where he's promoting his homelessness initiative.

    The prince is joining families who have experienced homelessness, community representatives and grassroots organisations taking part in a workshop to design the city's new housing project.

    His trip comes after the Sun published a photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales, on a shopping trip with William at the weekend.

    The princess, whose health has garnered social media speculation and conspiracy theories, has not been seen publicly since Christmas.

    In January, Kensington Palace said Catherine would be stepping back from public duties to recover from abdominal surgery, but she is expected to return after Easter.

    You can follow our live stream of William's visit by pressing the 'Play' button at the top of this page - there will not be regular text updates.