The Prince of Wales has praised the “amazing legacy” of Dame Deborah James after her Bowelbabe Fund passed the £20 million milestone.
William, in a personal message, wrote on Instagram: “What an incredible milestone and an amazing legacy.
“Deborah is in our thoughts today, as are all those who loved her. W.”
The fund, which supports cutting‑edge research and raises awareness of bowel cancer, was launched in May 2022 with an initial target of £250,000.
You, Me And The Big C podcast host Dame Deborah was given a damehood for her fundraising efforts, which soared into the millions.
The honour was personally conferred by William, who joined her family for afternoon tea and champagne while she was receiving hospice-at-home care.
She died in June 2022 at the age of 40.
Announcing the £20 million moment on Instagram, Dame Deborah’s parents Heather and Alistair said they were “thrilled” as they expressed their thanks to everyone who had supported the fund.
In 2022, the then Duke of Cambridge thanked Dame Deborah James for her “tireless campaigning” to raise awareness of bowel cancer throughout her illness.
He said at the time: “I was very honoured to be able to speak to her, it felt like a very personal family moment... it was a glorious day as well,” he told them of his visit to the You, Me And The Big C host’s home.
“But thank you, I know she’d want me to say this as well, thank you to you guys for caring for her - she always spoke very highly about her care.”
The Duke also described how the family celebrated with champagne: “She was saying basically ‘I can now drink, I can now drink this is brilliant’.
“She was triple parked and she kept making a joke about how many drinks she could get lined up in front of her.”
At the time, Dame Deborah posted pictures of William with herself and her family on Instagram and said it was “such a special day”.
She 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.
“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!”
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