PRINCE William has arrived at a youth charity engagement ahead of Harry’s copycat visit to a similar event later today.
Wills is set to meet youngsters at Spiral Skills in south London, before “distracting” Harry heads to Nottingham to discuss Children in Need.
Harry will meet youngsters and volunteers in Nottingham later today[/caption]
Harry has been blasted as a ‘distraction’ by Royal expert Hugo Vickers[/caption]
Wills is at the youth organisation in Lambeth after it received funding from the Homewards Fund.
The funding will allow them to expand their services for young people in the local area.
Spiral Skills was founded in 2015 and works with local schools, youth organisations and authorities.
It provides early intervention, holistic support, employability skills, and access to employment and services for 14–25-year-olds.
William launched Homewards two years ago in a bid to end rough sleeping.
He will see the work done in Lambeth, one of six pilot areas, and meet youngsters getting help.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Sussex is at the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham.
Harry is there to highlight the urgent challenges facing young people living in communities affected by violence across the city.
He will have a private briefing with Children In Need, police and crime commissioner.
After that, he is set to meet young people and some volunteers he first saw eight years ago on a previous trip to Nottingham.
His last visit to the city came before he stepped down as a working royal.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers weighed in on Harry’s return to the UK, branding the Duke a “distraction”.
Mr Vickers told The Sun: “Well, he comes over from time to time to do his charities.
“That I very much commend, because that’s what he was trained to do, and he’s very good at it.
“I think we have seen him doing a little bit more of that recently than in the year gone by – and in a way, that’s to be encouraged.
“The unfortunate thing is, of course, that every time he appears, he attracts a lot of speculation and publicity.
“Will he meet his father? Will he meet his brother? And so, unfortunately, he is always a distraction.
“But let us hope that his visit at least helps the charity that he’s come here to support.”
He said the late Queen would be devastated the two couples didn’t meet, despite being so close by.
In an exclusive chat Mr Vickers told The Sun: “I suspect she would be quite sad to see Harry now.
“Whereas he had a lot of very important responsibilities beforehand, like what the Queen, Prince William, and the King are now all doing.
“He is now involved in usually quite understated public engagements, private engagements as well as organisations and charities.
“As I’ve said on many occasions in the past, the royals are working for us, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
“They are putting things into life, they’re serving. Which is the complete opposite of what Prince Harry’s mostly doing.
“I mean, admittedly, with this charity, fine, he’s supporting it. Let’s hope that that does some good.”