Prince William shamed me by selling more Big Issues than I did, says veteran salesman

A BIG Issue seller says he’s delighted to see Prince William outbid him – because his card payment reader was used by the king.

Wills, 39, has moved “stacks” of the magazine – which helps the homeless – with insiders saying it could be a record.

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Veteran salesman Dave Martin, 60, who joined him on the street, told The Sun: “William has sold more than me. That was expectable.

“But he used my card machine so it didn’t matter. So all those sales will be recorded as mine anyway. He was a great guy.”

The Duke of Cambridge, wearing a red Big Issue cap and matching waistcoat, walked the streets of Westminster with Dave on Wednesday afternoon – and was soon recognized by stunned passers-by.

One, Richard Hannant, 47, told The Sun he tried to take a covert picture before William marched across the street towards him.

He added: “I was wondering if I was in big trouble. I turned around not knowing what was coming. . . and he was absolutely charming.

“It was very surreal. In a very upbeat and positive way, he asked me, “May I interest you in buying a copy?” I said, “Yes, of course.” But it was a disaster because when I looked in my wallet I could see I had no cash.

“I showed him my empty wallet and tried not to panic. I said, ‘I don’t have any cash!’

“In a flash, he pulled a card machine out of his pocket and said to me, ‘No problem – don’t worry!’ I didn’t ask how much it was, I just tapped my card.”

Richard then walked away in a daze with his 3lb magazine and was stopped down the road by another shopper.

He said, “She laughed, ‘Oh, he sold you one too, didn’t he?’ They must have been running around Westminster like hot cakes that day.

“It was wonderful to see William on the road after the anniversary supporting the charity.

“And there were no choreographed photos or advertisements, just the future king going about his business and helping other people. What a guy.”

Taxi driver Neil Kramer snapped a selfie with William after he was approached charging his electric vehicle.

He said, “He was engaging, polite and never forgot my name.” Adding, “What a lovely surprise on a random Wednesday and after the anniversary celebrations.”

Another passerby, Laura Michalkevic, also posed for a royal snap, praising him for “taking care of ordinary people.”

William misplaced all of his copies within an hour – and could become London’s fastest-selling Big Issue dealer.

A source said: “As you might expect, William has sold many copies. It could be a record-breaking amount per hour.

“He attracted the masses and managed to monopolize that by trading their money for a magazine.

“He could also accept card payments, so he had everything he needed to be a great salesperson.”

William will appear in an upcoming issue of the Big Issue after being interviewed by Dave, The Sun understands.

A Big Issue vendor for 11 years, he temporarily halted sales during the pandemic – losing around £125 a week.

But his work as an artist picked up steam during the crisis and he had a professional exhibition. But he continues to work on the street because he would “miss the people in my place”.

A worker from a nearby Sainsbury’s Local told The Sun: “We have quite a few celebs around here but none as big as William and they’ve never sold Big Issues.”

Another said: “He would be a very successful salesman. I don’t see him becoming homeless any time soon, but it’s good of him to support homeless people.”

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