William and Kate work the tills at Ikea during Belfast visit to spotlight homelessness employment scheme

From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026.

The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised shoppers by working the tills at an Ikea store in Belfast during a one-day Northern Ireland visit focused on William's Homewards homelessness initiative. The royals had earlier toured The Commons, a repurposed church on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast, meeting young people placed into jobs through the New Employment Opportunities Network. Seven employers have taken on 21 young people through the Neon scheme since it launched in Northern Ireland in 2025.

William surprised one well-wisher by joining a FaceTime call with her absent mother Angela, joking that a pumpkin he spotted was 'early for Halloween'.

The visit focused sharply on care leavers — in Northern Ireland, almost two-thirds experience homelessness after leaving care, with 42% doing so within two years.

William told Neon chairs: 'Employers want to help, they just sometimes don't know how to help — and you guys are unlocking those tools.'