Prince William selling the Big Issue

First off my grandson is part Roma. Is this a problem?

Would we all prefer it if people like William just went round pretending Big Issue sellers didn't exist?

If you buy a copy of the Big Issue you are supposed to take it. If you just give them the money they are begging. If you take the magazine it's business.

Royals absolutely do not only visit charities near to where they live.
That is nonsense. And they do help to bring attention to their charities.
Prince William is a good man doing his best in his tricky role in life.
All the spouting of dubious facts and figures can't change how much many of us like the monarchy.

Well said henetha. Just looking at, for example, Princess Anne's engagements shows how much they do for charities that we have no idea about because only a small proportion is publicised.

On the afternoon I met Princess Anne she'd already carried out an engagement many miles away in the morning, then was at a service, read a lesson and met groups of people afterwards (and was absolutely on top of her brief) then was dashing off for a State banquet in the evening.
I'd just want to go home, put my feet up with a and toast.

I expect Prince William was asked if he would like to experience standing in the street, selling The Big Issue.

Imagine the headlines if he'd refused!

I always thought one of the requirements of a Big Issue seller was that they had to have experienced homelessness. We all know it's wrong and exploitative to "black up" because it doesn't show proper respect for black people. Isn't dressing up and pretending to sell the Big Issue showing disrespect to the homeless. The Big Issue isn't just a fund raiser it is a way of helping the homeless rebuild their lives and move on. It's certainly not an opportunity for an over privileged, rich young man to get his photo onto social media.

No, not necessarily.
I think it is to help people back into work too.

If Prince William did this to show his continued support and remind people that this is still an issue then I think that's a good thing.

Sorry you are right Callistemon21 I just Googled it. However one of the principles behind it is that sellers are "working not begging" and sorry Prince William wasn't. I don't think it is showing respect it's being patronising.
He could have held a huge fundraising event invited all his rich friends and raised millions. That's his work. That is what he should be doing not pretending he understands what Big Issue sellers go through.

Urmstongran

Thought the weekend went well, surprised Kate's kicked him out.

Comment from the chap who got the picture of William:

William was "humble and working quietly in the background, helping the most needy", he added.

?

I don't think it is showing respect it's being patronising.

Imagine the headlines if he'd refused!

"Prince William refuses to help the desperate homeless!!"

What fabulous and credulous imaginations some folk have.

GrannyGravy13

Grany do you not think that the lack of visits to charities by their Royal Patrons in 2021 was due to half of the year the U.K. was under strict Covid-19 restrictions?

Giving Evidence analysed a three year period between 2016 to 2019 nothing to do with covid.

Giving Evidence today publishes research about Royal patronages of charities: what are they, who gets them, and do they help? This fits within our work of providing robust evidence so that charities and donors can be as effective as possible.

'Royal patronages are cover-up scams to create this fake facade that royals are ‘working’ and that they’re worth the money spent on them'

Callistemon21

^I don't think it is showing respect it's being patronising^.

Imagine the headlines if he'd refused!

"Prince William refuses to help the desperate homeless!!"

If he was raising millions he could just say that.
He wasn't helping. He was posing.

He was not posing .

What sour grapes! PW selling the Big Issue bringing his position to highlight a good cause.

My goodness there are some nasty, bitter people on GN -not much of the milk of human kindness here.

Imagine if he had chosen to take on anyone else's job and pretend to be doing it. There would be an outcry. But because Big Issue sellers are viewed as charity cases it is supposed to be OK. That is exactly the point of view the BI is meant to challenge.

The Big Issue made the news, the press, would the media have
given any mention of it if it had been an unknown .

Well he could have chosen to buy from an established seller and let their story be the focus of the publicity and not him dressing up.

Surely it's staged?
If he was quietly selling the Big Issue and hadn't been spotted, then how would it be raising awareness?

patronising, moi?

Of course it was staged. At the start of this thread I was wondering why he was doing it and we haven't learnt anything else about that. "Posh bloke pretends to be disadvantaged for a morning and adoring public fall over themselves to praise him."

What was the point? If he was really doing it undercover, why was he doing that? Did he and his PR team really not think they would be "spotted", photographed and appear in the papers?

If they want to support charities, I'm not complaining about that. But pretending to be doing it undercover and miraculously being spotted then appearing "by chance" in the papers is not admirable.

And all the fawning. And all the calling dissenters nasty and bitter. Just open your eyes, see that you are being manipulated.

Hello MissA! Lovely to have you back again!

I think William did it to stop the media attention being on Louis being cheeky/badly behaved to Kate at the jubilee.