Prince spends night on London streets to support homeless teens

December 23, 2009

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Tue Dec 22, 5:41 PM

By Quinn, The Associated Press

LONDON - A cold alley in central London is a far cry from a palace - but it was

the spot Prince chose to sleep to highlight the plight of homeless

British teenagers.

He spent a chilly night near Blackfriars Bridge last week with Seyi Obakin, the

chief executive of British homeless charity Centrepoint. has been the

charity's patron since 2005.

" I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep

rough on London's streets night after night, " said Tuesday. " Poverty,

mental illness, drug and alcohol dependancy and family breakdown cause people to

become and then stay homeless.

" I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to

help the most vulnerable on our streets. "

, second in line to the throne, was exposed to some of the hardships

found on London's streets when his mother, Princess , took him to a shelter

in 1996. Just 13 at the time, spent an hour at the facility with his

younger brother, Harry.

was well-known for her charitable work and the homeless was a group she

was particularly close to. She had also served as Centrepoint's patron, a

position she held at the time of her death in 1997.

A photograph released by the charity shows , 27, in the alley in jeans, a

grey hooded sweat shirt and a knit hat pulled low.

In a post to the charity's Web site, Obakin said the idea for to spend a

night on the streets - known as " sleeping rough " in Britain - was hatched in

March.

" He was determined, as he has always been, to understand deeply the full range

of problems a homeless young person might face, " Obakin said. " For me, it was a

scary experience. Out of my comfortable bed. Out there in the elements. Out

there on an extremely cold night, with temperatures down to -4 C (24.8 F). And

it was the same for Prince . But he was determined to do it. "

Obakin said they found a secluded spot - tucked away behind some garbage bins -

and settled in for a restless night.

" But there was no shielding from the bitter cold, or the hard concrete floor, or

the fear of being accosted by drug dealers, pimps or those out to give homeless

people a 'good' kicking, " Obakin said.

is currently training to be a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot.

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