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The children of the late Dame Deborah James received powerful advice from Prince William prior to their mother’s death. Less than two months before her passing, the Duke of Cambridge, who lost his own mother Princess Diana at a young age, visited Deborah at her family home.
Speaking to The Times , Deborah’s husband Sebastien Bowen recalled the Prince’s visit. He shared, “There was the time I opened the door to Prince William, who had come to give Deborah a damehood. He felt like a friend but he was the future king. That was bizarre. He was so relaxed; he came and sat down in the garden and had champagne with the family. Deborah had a glass of champagne, a glass of wine and a glass of sherry in front of her. She hadn’t been allowed a drink for months and the first thing William said was, ‘I’m glad to see you are triple parked.’ That was an immediate ice-breaker.”
Sebastien continued, “He’s obviously been through similar grief with the loss of his mother so he gave powerful advice to the children that will stay with them for ever.”
William presented Deborah, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, with her damehood at her family home in May. At the time, the host of the BBC’s You, Me and the Big C podcast shared photos from the Duke’s visit, including a snapshot of herself surrounded by her husband, their two kids—Hugo and Eloise—and Prince William.
“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,” she captioned photos from the Duke’s visit. “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. He is clearly passionate about improving oncology outcomes as the President of the Royal Marsden. It was such a special day for my whole family, making memories to last a life time. He’s welcome back any time!”
Deborah “passed away peacefully” on June 28. Following news of her passing, the Duke and Duchess shared a personal message that read: “We are so sad to hear the heartbreaking news about Dame Deborah. Our thoughts are with her children, her family and her loved ones.”
The royal couple added, “Deborah was an inspirational and unfalteringly brave woman whose legacy will live on. W & C.”