Prince William praises 'incredible milestone' set by Dame Deborah James's cancer charity

Lewis Henderson
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:29:05 +0000

King Charles and Prince William have praised the fantastic work of Deborah James's cancer charity Bowelbabe Fund, after it surpassed an "incredible milestone".

The charity continues to raise money for Cancer Research UK since Ms James's passing away following her battle with cancer at the age of 40.

Praising the work done by the Bowelbabe Fund, Prince William wrote on social media: "What an incredible milestone and an amazing legacy.

"Deborah is in our thoughts today, as are all those who loved her. W."

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The Royal Family's social media chipped in, posting: "Congratulations @bowelbandfund for raising an almighty £20m for cr_uk!"

The Bowelbabe fund announced the news online of surpassing the huge figure, writing: "We're thrilled to announce that the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK has just passed the £20m fundraising milestone!

"The money raised so far is supporting amazing cancer research projects and lifesaving awareness raising, and we're so grateful to everyone who has supported the fund since it launched in 2022 and is helping to continue Deborah's legacy."

Ms James campaigned for research into cancer, all the way till her death in 2022.

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In May of that year, she posted an update of her condition, saying she was receiving hospice-at-home care and that "her body just couldn't continue anymore".

Less than two days after her message, over £3million was raised for the Bowelbabe Fund.

A couple of days after, Ms James was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to charity and cancer awareness by Prince William at her parental home in Woking, Surrey.

Her final message before her death read: "Find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope. And finally, check your poo - it could just save your life."

Ms James's parents, Heather and Alistair, made the announcement that the charity had surpassed £20million on social media.

They expressed how "grateful" they are that people have continued to support Ms James's work and her legacy.

Speaking in 2023, William shared a message about Ms James for Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer live show.

He said: "Dame Deborah James was one of those special people who can unite and inspire others with the sheer force of her spirit.

"She encouraged us all to live life to the fullest, to tackle the toughest challenges with strength and bravery and to rally together to stand up to cancer."

"It was honour to meet Deborah and her family and present her with her damehood.

"I'll never forget her kindness, warmth, honesty and humour in adversity. Let's all learn from and be inspired by her passion for life."