The King expressed his regrets to the parents of Dame Deborah James, mentioning that he deeply regretted not having the opportunity to meet her. He described the late cancer campaigner, who passed away in 2022, as a remarkable and influential individual.
During a meeting with Alistair and Heather James in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, Charles conveyed his condolences before proceeding to join 500 attendees in the ballroom for a reception celebrating members of the cancer community.
Heather James, the mother of ‘Bowel Babe’ Dame Deborah, shared that she felt privileged that the King had reiterated her daughter’s sentiments in his written message to the guests, expressing her appreciation for the gesture.
Heather, who said that she sympathised with what Catherine’s mother Carole Middleton was going through, said: ‘It was lovely to be introduced to the King and I did thank him for being open with his diagnosis and said how much of a difference that would make to the public.’
Alistair, who was wearing socks embroidered with his late daughter’s phrase ‘rebellious hope’, which was used in the King’s message, said: ‘I think both the Queen and the King realised that she was a force of nature so it would have been wonderful to meet her.’
Speaking about the time that Prince William came to visit their daughter in the family garden in 2022 to official award her a damehood, Alistair added: ‘We did also tell him how wonderful it was when William came to meet her in the garden.’
Guests included the Duchess of York, Wes Streeting the health secretary, Victoria Derbyshire, Richard E Grant, Amy Dowden, Adele Roberts, Ashley Cain and Lorraine Kelly.
Speaking to Adele Roberts, a presenter and DJ who had bowel cancer in 2021, the King was told that she took part in the London marathon at the weekend. He asked her: ‘You didn’t run in some made thing disguised as a frog?’
‘No,’ she replied, laughing.
King Charles speaks with Alistair and Heather James, the parents of the late broadcaster Deborah James, during a reception in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday
The late Dame Deborah James is pictured with Prince William
King Charles opened up in a message to fellow sufferers as they were invited to Buckingham Palace to recognise the incredible work of community-based cancer organisations
Heather said about being at Buckingham Palace: ‘I think it just tops everything that Deborah’s legacy has shown, that people have learned so much about awareness.
‘I’m so proud of that legacy and the Bowelbabe fund. I think she would have loved to have been here, so it’s mixed emotions for me obviously.
‘Why am I here and not my daughter? But Deborah left us with that feeling of mum, dad, you’ve got to continue your life.’
On meeting the King she added: ‘It was actually really lovely. Perhaps I held onto his hand too long. But I feel very honoured to have met the King and the Queen tonight and even more so that they actually quoted Deborah’s quote. I think that means so much of the impact that she has had.’
Deborah’s father, Alistair James, said he was proud the King’s message included his daughter’s words of ‘Rebellious Hope’, saying: ‘He said that the words were so powerful, everybody remembers them.’
Heather added: ‘I’m very proud of that fact. Even though Deborah’s not here, I know she’s part of us and always will be.’
Billie-Jean Daniels brought a small fan to the reception, which she loaned to Camilla’s Private Secretary to keep the Queen cool in the packed ballroom, which was very warm.
She first met Queen Camilla at a Maggie’s cancer support centre in London at the end of last January, after the King had been hospitalised for a benign enlarged prostate but before he had publicly announced his cancer diagnosis.
The King was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in January last year following routine surgery for an enlarged prostate
He could be seen breaking into laughter as he spoke to guests at the celebration of community-based initiatives raising awareness about cancer
King Charles III and Queen Camilla speak with presenter Lorraine Kelly (second left) and the members of the Change + Check Choir
Recalling the meeting, Billie-Jean said: ‘At the end of our chat, I said to her Majesty to send my best to her husband and that I really hoped he was OK. We had a little moment. I said to her “if I was allowed I would give you a big hug”. She said, “well you are”. We had a great big hug. So I was really excited to come back and see her.’
She added: ‘I had just finished my treatment and she came to launch the new Maggie’s centre and I was one of a few people who sat with her. We chatted about it being my home from home and my lifeline, which it still is now.
‘She’d just found out that her husband had cancer, but she didn’t let on. She still came, she still sat and talked to us about what it’s like having cancer. I’m really fond of her, both her and Charles…Our King is going through his own cancer journey, she’s supporting him. it’s amazing. And it’s amazing that everybody’s here.’
The Duchess of York, who has been diagnosed with both breast cancer and skin cancer, made a surprise appearance in the palace ballroom.
Sarah Ferguson, who has worked with the teenage cancer trust for 35 years, said that she had been ‘kindly invited’ to the reception by her former brother-in-law the King.
Speaking about the King, she said: ‘I think the King is an absolutely brilliant example on revolutionising [the discussion around cancer]. Also, he does that in everything he does. He always puts his whole heart into everything he does.’
Speaking about cancer, Ferguson added: ‘My father died of it, my stepfather died of it, everybody has been close to cancer so it’s pretty wonderful to be here with people I have been close to.’
Also performing the reception are the Watch the Change + Check Choir, made up of 26 women brought together by breast cancer diagnoses, by ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly
Many of those present were from charities supported by the Royal Family, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now, Maggie’s and Children’s Hospice South West
Charlies is pictured three days after his prostate surgery, waving to well-wishers as he left the London Clinic
Lorraine Kelly, the television presenter, sang the song Golden for the King and Queen along with her choir Change + Check.
The song, about cancer diagnosis, was written for the choir which began after ITV producer Helen Addis was diagnosed with cancer.
Kelly, presenter of the eponymous Lorraine show, who was wearing pink along with the rest of the choir said: ‘The Queen said, ‘Oh, I should have worn pink,’ which I thought was really sweet. It was so nice of her. But she was gorgeous.
‘It’s amazing, especially what the King’s gone through, what Catherine has gone through as well, to open up his house to all of us. Most of us have got some sort of connection with cancer, I’ve not gone through it myself but I have friends and everybody is touched by it.’
Addis, who founded the choir, added: ‘It is opening up more conversations. Hopefully we’re going to be encouraging more people to check their boobs.’
The King and Queen then spent time separately speaking to some of the other guests who included cancer patients, medics and people from cancer charities including Marie Curie and Maggie’s.
Tim Lowe, co-founder of Little Princess Trust, which provides real-hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment, said: ‘I told the King that if he grew his hair ten inches he could donate it to us but he said he even had trouble growing his eyebrows.’
