Rare personal message from Prince William and Kate for Dame Deborah
Prince William and Kate have shared a heart-warming personal message on Twitter following the death of cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James.
"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 note was signed off with the couple's initials, marking that it was personally written by William and Catherine.
Deborah James, popular British media personality, has lost her battle with bowel cancer, dying at the age of 40.
The mother-of-two and podcaster who raised millions of dollars for charity, "passed away peacefully" at home where she had been receiving hospice care, her family has announced.
She received huge attention for detailing her five-year fight with terminal bowel cancer on the popular BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C.
She stepped away from her career as a deputy headteacher and began blogging about her diagnosis under the name Bowel Babe in 2017.
Dame Deborah went on to become a columnist for The Sun and released a book, F**k You Cancer: How to Face the Big C, Live Your Life and Still Be Yourself.
Her fundraiser, the Bowelbabe Fund, has seen more than $12 million raised for bowel cancer. Soon after the fund's launch, Dame Deborah received a damehood from the Queen with Prince William personally delivering the honour at her parents' home.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge praised her fundraising achievement saying in a tweet: "Every now and then, someone captures the heart of the nation with their zest for life & tenacious desire to give back to society. @bowelbabe is one of those special people."
In a statement shared, Dame Deborah's family said: "We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy. Deborah passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family.
Images: Instagram