Prince William along with French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy have drawn attention to the homeless. The prince took a sleeping bag out into the streets of London and slept near some garbage cans last week in below freezing weather.

Prince Sleeps on Streets (Image: Splash News)

Afterward he made breakfast and served it to the homeless for the charity Centrepoint.

William said: "I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets. I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London's streets night after night."


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He showed his grasp of what causes homelessness, saying: "Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless. Centrepoint's work – along with many other organisations – in tackling these fundamental causes is desperately important if we are ever to end homelessness in this country."


Bruni-Sarkozy made friends with a homeless man in her Paris neighbourhood. "She asks after me, she gives me one or two 50- or 100-euro notes," said the man, who was identified only as "Denis".

Bruni-Sarkozy also has offered to pay for him to stay in a hotel, he said. "I refused. It's not that I enjoy being in the street, but I've got my habits. People say it's cold. That's true, but I'm well covered up. What's more, Carla gave me a military-type duvet, which keeps me warm. She's a great lady, you know, Carla, even if she doesn't appear to be."