The Duke of Cambridge has been photographed with a Big Issue seller in a series of pictures released to mark his 40th birthday.

William is pictured with his arm on the shoulder of 60-year-old Dave Martin, who took William under his wing earlier this month and showed him how to sell the magazine which gives an income to the homeless.

His milestone birthday comes in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year and, mirroring his grandmother’s commitment to duty and service, he has vowed to continue to raise the issue of homelessness in an article for the Big Issue.

“So, for my part, I commit to continue doing what I can to shine a spotlight on this solvable issue not just today, but in the months and years to come,” wrote the duke who is the magazine’s cover star along with Mr Martin.

He added: “And in the years ahead, I hope to bring George, Charlotte and Louis to see the fantastic organisations doing inspiring work to support those most in need – just as my mother did for me.”

In another picture released to celebrate the duke’s milestone, he is shown holding a pile of the magazines and, in the third image, is pictured sharing a laugh with someone who appears to be buying the publication.

In the coming decade the future king’s role will become more prominent as he supports the monarchy.

The past 12 months have been an important period for the duke who, in October, held the inaugural awards ceremony for his ambitious Earthshot Prize – a 10-year, £50 million project to recognise innovative ideas to repair the planet.

The Cambridges spent three days touring the country by royal train in December, thanking frontline and key workers for their efforts since the coronavirus crisis began.

But there have been setbacks with William and Kate criticised for certain elements of their recent Caribbean tour deemed to hark back to colonial days.

William is likely to mark his milestone birthday privately and it’s likely that Kate and their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who featured during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations, will play a part.

Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales was born second in line to the throne at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, at 9.03pm on June 21 1982.

He weighed 7lb 1 1/2oz and was the firstborn son of heir to the throne, Charles, and the Princess of Wales.

At just nine months old, he accompanied his parents on their six-week official visit to Australia and New Zealand, a move which was a break from royal tradition.

His mother, Diana, who separated from Charles in 1992, died in a car crash in 1997.

He was just 15 and his brother Harry, 12, and the pair walked behind the princess’s coffin during a funeral procession through London.

William met Kate Middleton at St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland, and the pair wed in 2011 after dating for more than eight years.

He was made the Duke of Cambridge by his grandmother, the Queen, on the morning of his wedding.

The couple welcomed their first child George, also a future king, in 2013, followed by Charlotte in 2015 and Louis in 2018, and William was pictured with his children in a picture released at the weekend to mark Father’s Day.