Royal Mail? Prince William mucks in at charity by delivering chair

It was all hands of deck for Prince William as he helped to furnish the last of 32 homes in Aberdeen as part of his flagship homeless initiative.

The heir to the throne was in the Granite city to mark three years of his Homewards campaign, which is working to end homelessness in the UK.

And William, known as the Duke of Rothesay when he is in Scotland, got straight to work by helping staff at Langstane Housing Association put together welcome packs with household goods for new tenants.

At one point he thought the CEO Helen Gauld said the items included ‘hairdryers’, to which he quipped ‘some of us don’t need hairdryers’, as he rubbed his bald patch. But Ms Gauld corrected him saying: ‘I meant air fryers.’

His visit to Langstane, a Homewards delivery partner and registered social landlord, marked the completion of homes delivered through Homeward’s flagship Aberdeen Innovative Housing Project (IHP), which focuses on supporting single adults and young people experiencing relationship breakdown.

After taking time to chat to staff and one tenant, named only as Erin, he rolled up his sleeves to help move furniture from the back of a delivery van to a flat.

He carried the wooden IKEA chair up three flights of stairs before he was shown around the top floor property ahead of the arrival of its new occupant.

Before he left, he joked: ‘The chair will hopefully stay in one piece.’

Prince William talks to tenants during a visit to Langstane Housing Association, in Aberdeen

Prince William helps carry furniture up to a flat

Aberdeen is the only Scottish location of six across the UK that have benefited from funding from The Royal Foundation as part of William’s ambitious scheme.

Other areas include Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland, and Sheffield.

After speaking to the Royal, Erin, who told him she was ‘delighted’ with her new home, said: ‘I just assumed I’d be getting a blank flat with nothing but then it was offered and showed to me about homewards and was all put into place.

‘I feel safe and secure and like I know I have somewhere to go that’s my own and it’s the way I want it. Having somewhere to call my own makes such a difference to how I see everything.’

Ms Gauld said the prince was ‘very interested in the tenant and how she was doing’ which she said was ‘really nice to hear’.

She admitted it was ‘a bit surreal’ seeing the Royal lend a practical hand but added: ‘It was very gratifying for all the staff for him to come and recognise the work that they put in on a daily basis.’

Before leaving, William took time to chat to a small group of other Langstane tenants who had gathered to see him.