Prince William brings Prince George to volunteer at The Passage, continuing a family charity tradition

Prince William and his son Prince George spent part of Tuesday volunteering at The Passage, the homelessness charity Princess Diana helped establish in London, continuing a family tradition of service that dates back to William’s boyhood. The pair baked cupcakes, packed care packages and helped decorate a Christmas tree as part of their visit, underscoring the long-running link between the royal family and the charity. Their outing also saw George sign The Passage’s visitors book on the same page that Diana and William did decades earlier, a detail highlighted by royal aides and reported by outlets including People.

A spokesperson for William noted that the visit was meant to connect George with the charity’s work and to spend time alongside staff, volunteers and service users. “It was important to the Prince of Wales to share with Prince George the work of The Passage and to spend time volunteering alongside the team,” the spokesperson said. “They both greatly enjoyed meeting staff, volunteers and service users as well as learning more about the charity’s work. The dedication shown not only by The Passage but by organizations across the homelessness sector, at Christmas and throughout the year, is invaluable.”

The outing follows a personal history for William. In a documentary about his work to end homelessness, he recalled being about 11 when Diana brought him and his brother Prince Harry to The Passage. “My mother took me to The Passage; she took Harry and I both there. I must have been 11 at the time, maybe 10. I had never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious about what to expect,” William said. The documentary shows how Diana created a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere at the shelter, and William said at the time he initially worried about the residents’ circumstances but was moved by the charity’s upbeat environment.

The family’s philanthropy comes as William and Kate Middleton have been navigating a busy holiday season. In parallel to the royal visit in London, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry spent the holidays in Montecito, California with their children, Archie and Lilibet, sharing a holiday card on Instagram. In the United Kingdom, Kate and William released their own 2025 Christmas card featuring Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Christmas cards frame the royal family’s public-facing charitable work during the season and serve as a counterpoint to ongoing tabloid headlines about the couple’s relationships within the royal clan.

Across the Atlantic, Middleton’s holiday activity continued with the fifth annual Together at Christmas carol service in London, an event Kate has hosted for several years as a focal point of the season. The service, held at Westminster Abbey, drew extensive attention as the royal family gathered with their three children, who were seen writing their names on paper to add to a Christmas tree outside the church. The event’s theme this year was “love in all its forms.”

Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of the former Prince Andrew, were notably absent from this year’s gathering. Eugenie later explained on Instagram that she wished she could have attended and applauded Catherine’s leadership of the event. Royal commentator Neil Sean later told Fox News Digital that the invitations for Beatrice and Eugenie came from Catherine’s office, underscoring Catherine’s control over the family’s public-facing charitable initiatives and her role in projecting unity during a challenging year for the monarchy.

The differences noted in public remarks about William’s brother, Harry, have been a persistent subplot in royal coverage. William’s comments in the documentary marked his first public reference to Harry in years, a reminder of the complicated dynamics within the Windsor household even as the broader family continues to emphasize charitable work during the holiday season.

The The Passage visit and the broader Christmas activities illustrate how the royal family ties its public service to personal history and family storytelling. The charity, which has operated for decades to support rough sleepers and those in housing need, remains a focal point for William’s and Kate’s public messaging about social welfare. For George, the experience mirrors the path his father walked as a child, reinforcing a narrative of continuity and duty that defines the royal approach to community engagement during the holidays.

As the holidays unfold, the royals’ public-facing charitable work continues to shape public perception of the monarchy. By pairing hands-on volunteering with official Christmas cards and high-profile appearances at carol services, William, Kate and their children are maintaining a visible, consistent line of engagement with social issues—an approach that the Palace has long positioned as central to the Crown’s modern relevance.