Prince William hosted a glamorous night at his palace home on Thursday – to reward those who are helping to turn the tide against homelessness.
The third annual Centrepoint Awards honor the contributions of seven young people for their achievements in areas including education, sports and personal development. The black-tie affair was held at Kensington Palace, where William lives with wife Kate and their kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
While meeting with supporters of the charity, William admitted he is catching up on as much sleep as possible before he and Kate welcome baby No. 3.
“Our third child is due in April, I’m getting as much sleep as I can,” he told Raymond Stoner of Anston Properties.
When Stoner told him he could save time by having twins, William responded, “Twins? I think my mental health would be tested with twins.”
Stoner told reporters: “I gave him a little message for his darling wife — ‘twins save time.’ ”
William then told another guest: “Two is fine — I don’t know how I’m going to cope with three, I’m going to be permanently tired.”
Like his late mother Princess Diana, William adopted Centrepoint as a key cause – it was one of his first patronages taken on in 2005.
His cousin, Kitty Spencer, is an ambassador for the charity who once slept on the streets to “give people a glimpse into this reality and enforcing just how difficult the situation is that these people find themselves in,” she told PEOPLE at the time.
Centrepoint provides homeless 16 – 25-year-olds with support to find work and tackle physical and mental health problems, in addition to a safe place to stay – helping more than 9,200 homeless young people each year in London, Manchester, Sunderland and Yorkshire, and through partner charities across the U.K.
As well as making a speech, William met some of the young people who have been supported by Centrepoint over the years as well as the winners.
“The courage these young people have shown in spite of the most difficult of circumstances is an example to us all. What they have achieved – jobs, university, independence – is a testament not only to their strength of character but also to the dedication of Centrepoint’s team,” William said.
“However, for me, tonight is one of sharply contrasting emotions. Soon Centrepoint will be 50 years old. I feel immense pride in all Centrepoint has accomplished in that time, but with it, disappointment and frustration – frustration that in one of the most prosperous countries in the world homelessness is still putting the lives and futures of our young people at risk,” he continued.
“Tonight, it is right that we celebrate the outstanding progress made by these extraordinary young people – but, as we do, I urge every one of you to reflect on our shared commitment to end youth homelessness. I sincerely believe we can and must do more.”
Earlier on Thursday, William surprised a group of teenagers at their school when he took part in a discussion about cyberbullying — telling them that he “worries” for girls amid the unrealistic beauty standards that prevail online. “The touched-up pictures are not real,” he said. “Don’t try to recreate them or think that’s what you’ve got to aim for. There’s a lot of fakeness online so don’t worry about that.”
