Ahead of the Duke of Cambridge celebrating his 40th birthday on Tuesday, he wrote a piece for the magazine detailing why he went undercover to sell issues to members of the public in support of the cause earlier this month.
“I wanted to experience the other side and see what it was like to be a Big Issue vendor. My time was truly eye opening,” William wrote. “And while I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I’m turning 40, even more than I have in the past.”
The prince added that he intended to “shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come.”
When William asked Martin what The Big Issue had done for him, he said: “It got me off the street. Gave me respect. I was begging at the time. Another vendor said I could be doing something a lot better and took me along to The Big Issue office.”
Vendors buy magazines for £1.50 ($1.84) and sell them for £3 ($3.68), keeping the proceeds. There are around 1,300 people working their way out of poverty by selling The Big Issue, according to the magazine’s official website.
Meanwhile, members of the British royal family sent birthday wishes to William on social media on Tuesday.
CNN’s Max Foster and Rob Picheta contributed reporting.
