has made a surprise trip to Northern Ireland today where he will meet with partners involved in his Homewards programme and later celebrate the creative industries sector.

He told young people experiencing homelessness that he wants them to "be seen" as he visited a charity in Belfast helping support young people in care.

The trip was due to take place in May this year but was postponed when Rishi Sunak called a snap general election.

William travelled to Belfast to hear about opportunities to scale local projects to help prevent homelessness for young people leaving care.

He visited the Foyer, a temporary accommodation and support service which houses around 30 young people experiencing homelessness operated by the charity Simon Community, a member of the Homewards "Northern Ireland local Coalition".

Research indicates that one-third of people with care experience in the UK become homeless within the first two years of exiting the care system, whilst 25% of all people who have experienced homelessness have been in care at some point during their childhood.

Young people who have been in care may become homeless because they can't access affordable housing, lack a support network or have experienced childhood trauma. In Northern Ireland, around 140 young people each year leave care and become homeless.

In Northern Ireland, approximately 140 young people each year leave care and present as homeless.

On arrival William was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant for Belfast Dame Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle before sitting down with a group of Homewards partners including Dennison and Alyson Kilpatrick, chair of the Homewards Northern Ireland steering group.

He told them: "All of you have been doing such an amazing job for such a long time. A lot of people have told me that since the documentary went out, it's opened their eyes a bit more to what homelessness is about. What more can we do to help you?"

Ms Kilpatrick replied: "I think coming to shine a light, visiting, meeting people who are homeless, it all helps."

William then heard from two groups of young people who have been supported by Simon Community's "housing first for youth programme" " which focuses on preventing homelessness, providing stable accommodation and community-based wraparound support to vulnerable young people leaving care for as long as they need.

In the first group at an arts and crafts activity table, he met Amy, 19, who went into care at 16 after a family breakdown and has been at The Foyer since earlier this year.

She told William: "When I was in care, so often, I wasn't treated like a normal person. There isn't often mental health support. Without the Simon Community programme, I'm not sure where I'd be."

The future King, who has been longtime supporter of mental health awareness, asked her: "Is it that we need to get to you earlier? Is that the key issue? Should that be how the care system works more?" She told him: "Definitely".