Prince William’s powerful advice for Deborah James’ kids after losing his own mum Princess Diana
Prince William spoke with Deborah's children about the "similar grief" he felt when he lost his own mother, Princess Diana
![Prince William’s powerful advice for Deborah James’ kids after losing his own mum Princess Diana](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yX5ZshR827R2Efcbf56aiH-415-80.jpg)
Dame Deborah James' widow has revealed that Prince William gave his children some 'powerful advice' before their mother's tragic death.
- Prince William visited Deborah James and her family at their home to present her with a damehood earlier this year
- The campaigner died on the 28th of June 2022 following a five-year battle against stage four bowel cancer.
- In other royal news, Prince Charles is planning to bring Prince Harry back to the monarchy, according to royal expert
When Prince William visited the home of Dame Deborah James earlier this year while she received end-of-life treatment, he reportedly offered kindness and shared some 'powerful advice' with her young children as they prepared to say goodbye to their mother.
While at her home, the future king presented the broadcaster and campaigner with a damehood in recognition of her incredible work raising awareness of, and money for, bowel cancer.
Deborah's widow, Sebastien Bowen, shares two children with the late campaigner and told The Times that the future king "felt like a friend" when he visited their family.
READ MORE: Deborah James Bowelbabe documentary - release date and where to watch
A post shared by Deborah James (@bowelbabe)
A photo posted by on
Captioning a collection of photographs from William's visit at the time, 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.
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
"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!"
Recalling the royal visit, Sebastien said that Prince William "felt like a friend" and was "so relaxed" as he spoke with his late wife over a glass of Champagne.
"Deborah had a glass of champagne, a glass of wine and a glass of sherry in front of her," he told The Times. "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'."
According to Bowen, Prince William spoke of the "similar grief" he felt when he lost his own mother, Princess Diana, in August 1997 and shared some 'powerful advice' with his children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12, as the siblings prepared to spend their final few weeks with their mother.
"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 forever," he revealed.
Related articles:
- The Queen's surprising response to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drama
- Kate Middleton's plan to rebuild bridge between Prince William and Harry
- Prince Charles slammed in new HBO Princess Diana documentary over heartbreaking Prince Harry birth story
- Meghan Markle reveals ‘brutal mental battle’ in unearthed letter to herself
- Prince Louis' danger Kate Middleton is 'very aware of'
Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.
-
Turn your kids into polyglots this summer
By Heidi Scrimgeour Published
-
50 most popular European baby names revealed - they’re surprisingly traditional and climbing in popularity in the UK
From traditional and classic names to trendy monikers, there's plenty of baby name inspiration to be found in Europe
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Princess Diana’s former royal butler reveals why there’s pressure on Prince William to ‘finish her legacy’
The late Princess's work had 'only just begun' when she died and Prince William is keen to carry it on
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Royal expert reveals Prince William’s ‘greatest tribute to his mother’ Princess Diana as he celebrates her 63rd birthday
"I wanted her to be proud of the person I'd become"
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William is keeping Prince George, Charlotte and Louis’ feet on the ground with an important project inspired by Princess Diana
The Prince of Wales is keen to carry on the work started by his late mother, a royal expert has revealed
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Princess Diana left the bulk of her fortune to sons Prince William and Prince Harry - but there’s one thing from her childhood they’ll never inherit and the real heir is surprising
Princess Diana's two sons inherited a lot of their mother's belongings when she died, but they're set to miss out on one very special item
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis may not become working royals as Prince William shares his dad’s vision for a ‘smaller’ monarchy, insider reveals
What will the Prince and Princess of Wales's youngest two children do for work if they don't join The Firm?
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William reveals sweet nickname for King Charles in simple but heartfelt Father’s Day message
The Prince of Wales also shared a throwback picture of himself with his father
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George is going to be so upset he’s missing out on Prince William’s birthday plans - but the reason why is pretty understandable
The Prince of Wales celebrates his 42nd birthday later this month
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George and Prince William enjoy ‘rough and tumble father-and-son fun’ thanks to Princess Diana’s important parenting tactic
The Wales family are relying on Princess Diana's parenting rule to strike a balance between George's 'princely behaviour' and 'normal 10-year-old antics'
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published