Prince of Wales’s homelessness documentary to air ahead of Duke of Sussex polo series

Heir to the throne’s latest foray into television comes as he gradually increases his profile on the international stage

Prince William’s documentary about homelessness is to air on Disney+ ahead of his brother’s polo series on rival network Netflix.
The Prince of Wales, 42, took part in the two-part ITV series to highlight his work in seeking to end homelessness.
The documentary, Prince William: We Can End Homelessness, will be broadcast in the UK on Wednesday and Thursday and will be available to international audiences on Disney+ from Friday Nov 1.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Sussex’s latest offering for Netflix, which is due for release in December, promises “an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look” at the sport of kings.
Polo, a five-part series co-produced by Prince Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Productions, is the latest documentary to be released as part of the couple’s multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant.
While the Duke is not expected to feature heavily on screen, he was filmed playing the game in Florida in April in support of his charity, Sentebale.
The series was shot primarily at the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, and “will provide viewers with unprecedented access” to the world of professional polo, Team Sussex revealed earlier this year.
“Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level,” it said.
Archewell Productions, founded by the couple in 2020, is “dedicated to illuminating thought-provoking and diverse narratives that underscore our common humanity and celebrate community”, but its success in the cut-throat world of show business has been mixed.
Polo will be the fourth Netflix production released by the couple so far following Harry & Meghan, their six-part documentary series, Live to Lead, a series of pre-recorded interviews they introduced, and Heart of Invictus about the Duke’s Invictus Games.
More recently, Prince Harry appeared in an ITV documentary called Tabloids on Trial about his high-profile legal crusade against the media.
Prince William has appeared less inclined to take part in television shows in recent years.
His homelessness documentary comes four years after ITV released Prince William: A Planet For Us All, which involved camera crews following him for two years to learn about his “personal mission to find ways to protect the natural world”.
Five months earlier, he starred in the BBC’s Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health about his campaign to encourage more men to talk about their problems.
Back when fraternal relations were more cordial, the brothers jointly took part in various documentaries to honour close family members. This included joining forces to pay tribute to their grandmother, Elizabeth II, when she turned 90 in 2016, their mother on the 20th anniversary of her death in 2017 and their father, as he turned 70 the following year.
Prince William’s latest foray into television comes as he gradually increases his profile on the international stage, positioning himself as a global statesman as he prepares to one day become king.
Kensington Palace was delighted that Disney+ snapped up the rights, ensuring that his mission against homelessness, driven by his flagship Homewards initiative, will reach an international audience.
In the programme, the heir to the throne describes how he draws on his late mother’s “inspiration and guidance” after she introduced her sons to the issue of homelessness from a young age.
He says: “I’ve slowly tried to work out what can I bring to the role and the platform that I have. What do I feel works? What do I feel people want to see from me? And I have taken some inspiration and guidance from what my mother did, particularly with homelessness. That’s grown more over the last few years.”
The Prince also addressed the complexities of his role. While admitting that he “can’t pretend to understand homelessness”, he adds: “With my position and my platform, I should be delivering change. Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to help people who are in need? I don’t believe we should be living with homelessness in the 21st century.”