The Prince of Wales put on a apron and helped serve Christmas lunch to people supported by a homeless charity.

William joined staff, volunteers and clients of The Passage when the organisation held its annual festive meal on Monday.

The charity posted a video online showing highlights of its Christmas lunch, with the future king – royal patron of The Passage – joining staff in the kitchen to help prepare food before serving a starter of soup and fresh bread rolls.

In the footage, the prince is seen sharing a laugh with staff and posing for a group photo, and later sitting down with diners at a table covered with Christmas crackers.

The future king has been a long-term supporter of the charity established in 1980, which provides resources which encourage, inspire and challenge homeless people to make lasting and long-term changes to their lives.

William first visited the charity in 1993 with his brother the Duke of Sussex, when the pair were young schoolboys, alongside their mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

Diana was instrumental in teaching her sons about the issue of homelessness, taking them to meet rough sleepers to broaden their horizons.

The prince has set his sights on making rough sleeping, sofa surfing and other forms of temporary accommodation a thing of the past with his ambitious initiative called Homewards.

The five-year project will initially focus on six locations where local businesses, organisations and individuals will be encouraged to join forces and develop “bespoke” action plans to tackle homelessness with up to £500,000 in funding.

A spokesperson for The Passage said about the royal patron: “He was distributing starters to everybody and he spent some time chatting with clients after he finished serving, and he also spent time in the kitchen meeting volunteers as well.”