Prince William Sleeps on Streets in Solidarity with Homeless Youth

It's easy to oppose the idea of homelessness. But few people go to out of their way to understand just how devastating the experience of homelessness can be. Last week, Prince William spent one freezing night "rough sleeping" on the streets London. His goal? To actively understand the plight of young homeless people in his community.

Prince William has long supported Centrepoint, a London-based organization that provides services to homeless youth, as a sponsor and spokesperson. But early this month, the organization's chief executive put the Prince's support to a new test by inviting him to experience a night sleeping on the streets. Much to everyone's surprise, the Prince accepted his offer and spent the night of December 15th on the streets; in a cardboard box next to Blackfriar's Bridge in the middle of December, no less.

Indeed, the small group camping with Prince William had quite an experience. They tried unsuccessfully to escape from the bitter cold by sleeping in an alley and shielding themselves with trash bins. They were afraid to sleep, for fear of being preyed upon by drug dealers. And - to top things off - they were nearly run over by a street sweeper who didn't see the group huddled together.

While many people across the globe have taken to the streets for a night to raise money or awareness, I have had mixed feelings about these events in the past. Too often, the headlines following an event will proclaim, "Students at XYZ University Experience Homelessness for a Night." Au contraire. Camping outside for one night is a totally different experience than losing everything and having no choice but to resort to the streets. In other words, one's perspective coming into a sleep-out is almost more important than the activity itself.

This is why Prince William's humility following his night on the streets was so refreshing. He told Sky News, "I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London's streets night after night." His assistant reiterated that the Prince understood that what he had experienced "was but a fraction of what it means to be truly homeless and afflicted." This is quite a difference from, say, Tyra Banks, who claimed to know what it was like to be homeless after dressing up and panhandling for a day.

I admire Prince William for leaving the comforts of royalty to take to the streets. I applaud his efforts to understand the complexities of youth homelessness. His experience - and clear understanding of the limitations of his experience - will make him a more informed and ultimately more powerful advocate for homeless youth.

Image: Sky News