Prince William Delivers Moving Tribute to Late Cancer Campaigner Deborah James and Her ‘Lasting Legacy’
Prince William Delivers Moving Tribute to Late Cancer Campaigner Deborah James and Her ‘Lasting Legacy’
Simon PerryFri, October 2, 2026 at 10:15 AM UTC
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Deborah James and Prince William in 2022; William appearing via video link at the Rebel Ball in October 2026Credit: Simon Way -
Prince William honored the late Deborah James at a fundraiser on Oct. 1 on what would have been her 45th birthday
Just months before her death following a colorectal cancer diagnosis, James launched the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK in 2022 to support research and raise awareness
The London gala raised around $420,000 for Cancer Research UK, with William delivering a moving speech as he appeared via video
Prince William is remembering a late cancer campaigner whose stoic journey moved the world.
The Prince of Wales, 44, praised Deborah James — who became a household name in the U.K. as she chronicled her battle with the disease on a podcast — at a special gala on Thursday, Oct. 1.
The prince, who in May 2022 bestowed James with a damehood that the late Queen Elizabeth had awarded her, made a video appearance at a cancer charity ball in James’ honor.
In the same month that she received her damehood, James — who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 — set up the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK to fund vital research and increase cancer awareness. She died just months in June 2022. Her story had been captured and inspired listeners as she co-host the BBC’s You, Me and the Big C podcast.
(L-R) James’ daughter Eloise Bowen, husband Sebastien Bowen and son Hugo BowenCredit: Simon Way
The Oct. 1 event, called Rebel Ball, took place on what would have been mother of two James’ 45th birthday. In his address, William called her “anamazing woman who achieved and continued to achieve so much in pursuit of saving and improving lives.”
Talking about meeting her in 2022, the prince recalled how she spoke of “her ambitions and her desire to leave a lasting legacy through the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.”
Prince William’s video speech at the Rebel Ball in honor of Deborah JamesCredit: Simon Way
“What struck me was Deborah’s positivity and humor in the face of adversity, what she liked to call ‘rebellious hope’. Fueled by that positive spirit, the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK has achieved so much over the last four and a half years, as it continued to invest in pioneering research that’s giving more people more time with the ones they love.”
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He added, “Tonight would have been Deborah’s 45th birthday and I know she would have wanted everyone dancing, celebrating and making memories.”
The event took place at London’s Hurlingham Club, and included performances by singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and the cast of Disco Inferno, a touring theater show made up of performers from London’s West End.
In a statement released on Oct. 1, James’ husband Sebastien Bowen said, “Deborah channeled her rebellious hope into a force for good, doing everything she could to change lives for the better. She was driven by an unwavering determination to raise vital funds for cancer research because she understood first-hand the difference it can make in helping give more people more time with the ones they love.”
Deborah James with her family and Prince William in 2022
“The Rebel Ball captured so much of what made her special: her energy, her courage and her ability to bring people together behind a cause she believed in. Themoney raised will support the work she was so passionate about, helping to drive progress for people affected by cancer,” Bowen added.
Cancer Research UK says that since it begun, the Bowelbabe Fund has helped support 16 research and cancer awareness projects, including the development of the Bowelbabe Vaccine — a pioneering cancer vaccine to boost immune power against bowel cancer — and global research team PROSPECT, who are working to better understand the rise of bowel cancer in people under 50.
Deborah JamesCredit: Holly Clark
When she died in June 2022, William and Kate Middleton shared a personal statement saying, “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 Oct. 1 event raised around $420,000 (£316,000) for James’ Cancer Research UK fund.
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