LONDON - British Prince William was seen preparing meals for the homeless at a kitchen, which is run by a charity that was his late mother Diana’s favourite.

Wills, 26, was photographed chopping a lettuce as he mingled with the volunteers at inner-city charity Centrepoint, of which he is now patron.

He hosted a dinner at Clarence House for Centrepoint volunteers and some of the people that they had helped, but it was not the first time that he has been involved with the charity.

His mother had taken him and his brother Harry to the homeless shelter when she had been its patron, and now William has chosen Centrepoint as one of the first organisations he would support after leaving university.

In September 2006, William spent more than two days working at one of Centrepoint’s shelters, and has since made regular return visits.

“He was really good - you’d have thought he was a member of staff, really laid-back, with a lovely manner with young people,” the Sun quoted Roger Defoe, the manager at the charity’s shelter in Soho, as telling Hello! magazine.

“It’s surprising how quickly you forget who he is - he’s just Will. He’s got a great sense of humour - a bit warped.

“Once at Safestop, he teased an ex-CEO, saying, ‘Go away, you’re too old - we don’t work with people your age’!” he added.