Kate Garraway’s husband Derek passed away at the very beginning of January. His funeral took place a month later, on Friday 2 February. As expected, many high profile people attended the ceremony.
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On Monday 5 February, Kate Garraway gave her first ever interview after the funeral and on Good Morning Britain she announced that she would be back that same week. In her interview she also mentioned that she received a copious amount of letters of condolences - among senders were David and Victoria Beckham as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales and King Charles.
But has Kate Garraway always had ties to the Royal Family?
Kate Garraway receives letters from royalty
This is what she revealed in her 5 February 2024 Good Morning Britain interview. As reported by Daily Mail Kate Garraway explained:
Catherine and William sent a beautiful letter. (...) I know that Catherine has been in hospital herself, so I really appreciated that.
But according to Garraway, the Waleses aren’t the only royals who reached out to her as she was grieving for the loss of her husband. The presenter also shared that King Charles himself sent her a note.
And I had a letter from the King, who knows a lot about grief.
Because there is somebody that knows about grief and also knows about that sort of anticipatory grief where you know something has a risk of happening and will and maybe at one point inevitably happen, but how different it is when it does happen
However, Kate Garraway has made it very clear that she will not share the content of the letters. Her exact words were that she had been ‘sort of sworn to secrecy’.
Kate Garraway and the Royal Family
This isn’t the first time Kate Garraway has shared a headline with royalty. Indeed, in the past few years, the Good Morning Britain presenter has been involved with several royal events and personalities.
In June 2023, Prince William made Garraway a MBE. At the time, the event attracted attention due to Derek Draper’s presence. Talking about the honour, Garraway had stated that she felt ‘very awkward about it all’ even though she was ‘thrilled to bits and incredibly honoured’.
A month before receiving her MBE, Garraway talked about King Charles on Lorraine Kelly’s coronation special. On the show she shared how King Charles had been of help when Derek Draper had gotten ill. In one of her books, she had previously explained that a member of the Royal Family had suggested a physician. We now know that this member was King Charles (then Prince Charles).
On Lorraine Kelly’s show she developed:
on a personal level he also said look, 'I have a personal physician that's been very helpful with me and would you like to make use of them?' His doctor also works in a hospital in London so I did speak to him and it was very kind of him.
Adding,
I think he's a very kind, careful man and knows what it means for people to get [a letter from him].
Finally, Kate Garraway and the Princess of Wales worked together on the first edition of the Princess’ Christmas carol service. In 2021, Garraway was asked to give a reading during the concert. But though this left her incredibly ‘honoured’ she shared with Hello! how a gesture from the Princess meant even more to her.
Both she and Prince William were kind enough to ask after Derek and the children and as I was also lucky to be able to bring my [son] William with me, so he got the chance to see them too.
In 2022, Kate Garraway had to miss the recording of the Christmas carol service due to Derek Draper needing to be rushed to the hospital.
Read more:
⋙ Kate Garraway: How has the presenter been doing since the tragic death of husband Derek Draper?
⋙ Kate Garraway forced herself to do this when her husband was in a coma: 'I searched his last...'
⋙ Piers Morgan: The TV presenter's touching tribute to Kate Garraway after her husband's passing
Sources:
Daily Mail: Kate Garraway praises Kate Middleton for sending her a 'lovely' letter of condolence while recovering from surgery - and reveals King Charles 'who knows about grief' also wrote to her
Independent: Kate Garraway made MBE by Prince William with Derek Draper’s support
Hello: Exclusive: Kate Garraway shares touching moment Kate Middleton privately asked after ailing husband Derek
