The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have led tributes to Dame Deborah James following her death.
The 40-year-old podcaster lost her battle with bowel cancer on June 28 2022. Following the news, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrote on social media: “We are so sad to hear the heartbreaking news about Dame Deborah. Our thoughts are with her children, her family and her loved ones. Deborah was an inspirational and unfalteringly brave woman whose legacy will live on. W C.”
The message ended with the couple’s initials, indicating the note was personally from them rather than their communications team.
It was just last month the Duke personally presented Deborah with her Damehood and joined her, and her family, for afternoon tea. She was recognised for her outstanding contribution to raising awareness of cancer and cancer treatments and for her fundraising. The visit came just days after she announced she had been put on end-of-life care and didn’t know how many days she had left.
At the time of the visit, Dame Deborah wrote: “Prince William actually came to our family house today!! I am utterly honoured that he joined us for afternoon tea and champagne, where he not only spent a generous amount of time talking to my whole family but also honoured me with my Damehood.
“It’s quite surreal having a royal pop in at home, and yes you can imagine the cleaning antics and preparation went off the scale – but it was all irrelevant because William was so kind and he put us all at ease.”
It was also in May 2022 that His Royal Highness visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where, during his time there, he met some of those helping Dame Deborah. The Duke became president of the hospital back in 2007. His late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales was known to support the facility and make frequent visits.
The Duke was thanked by Dr Nicos Fotiadis, who treated Dame Deborah, for going to see her. To which the Duke responded: “It is important to acknowledge and recognize people like Deborah who do such an awful lot to help other people in very difficult circumstances. She’s done a brilliant job.”
He then joked, “as she put it, she made bowel cancer sexy, those are her words, not mine!”
Dame Deborah James set up the Bowelbabe Fund for cancer research shortly after she announced she was receiving end-of-life care. The fund has raised millions of pounds, well over her initial goal of £250,000.
