A Buckinghamshire charity supporting people with epilepsy paid a moving tribute to its patron, Her Majesty The Queen, who died yesterday.
The Epilepsy Society, based in Chalfont St Peter, welcomed the Queen as its patron when she acceded to the throne in 1952.
The monarch had witnessed first hand the effects of epilepsy.
Clare Pelham, Chief Executive at the charity said: “We have always been very proud and privileged to have had Her Majesty as part of our community. Like so many families, the royal family has been touched by epilepsy - the Queen's uncle, Prince John lived with seizures during his short life and is believed to have died of his epilepsy, at just 13 years old.
“Throughout her reign, the Queen remained a constant and loyal supporter of the charity which has transformed the lives of people with epilepsy.”
In 2020, during lockdown, the charity sent the Queen a Christmas message at Windsor Castle, via Zoom. Many people whose lives have been changed by the Epilepsy Society joined the call to tell the Queen just what a gamechanger her charity had been for them.
Ms Pelham said: “Well-wishers included a young mum who had undergone brain surgery to stop her seizures and who is now a nurse in the NHS with two young boys; a GB judo fighter whose dreams of representing Great Britain in the next Paralympics have been made possible by treatment at the Chalfont Centre; and a couple whose whole family’s lives have been turned round through genomic sequencing.
“They all had a simple message for the Queen, which I believe says it all, from all of us at the Epilepsy Society: ‘Thank you.’
“We would like to pay tribute to her unfailing charity work. She has been an inspiration for 70 years.”
During her lifetime the Queen supported over 600 charities in the UK, recognising the invaluable role they play in making a difference to the lives of people both at home and abroad. Following her 90th birthday, Her Majesty began to relinquish some of her patronages but chose to remain as patron of the Epilepsy Society.
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On December 13 1985, the Queen visited the Epilepsy Society’s Chalfont Centre in Chesham Lane. Her arrival was met by 1200 local schoolchildren, and the local MP at the time, Sir Ian Gilmour.
She spent time meeting residents at the centre and heard, first-hand, about the challenges of living with uncontrolled seizures. But she was also keen to learn about the latest diagnostic tests for epilepsy and how new medications and treatments were bringing greater hope to people with epilepsy.
The Queen was presented with a leather-bound copy of Roget’s Thesaurus, crafted by residents in a workshop on site. The gift was chosen to recognise the role played by the son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter of author Dr Peter Mark Roget, in the history of the Society.
Over the years, with the Queen as its patron, the charity has also enjoyed visits from other members of the Royal Family, including The Queen Mother, Princess Anne, Princess Diana and the Countess of Wessex.
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In 2016, five Epilepsy Society 'heroes' and their guests joined the Queen for the Patron's Lunch - a street party stretching the length of the Mall, to celebrate her 90th birthday. The Queen invited representatives from all of her 600 plus charities, to help celebrate the support and service she has provided throughout her reign.
Clare Pelham added: “Her Majesty The Queen has been an inspiration to people around the world. Everyone, in nations far and wide, will have cherished memories of what she meant to them. That is what makes it so special for us at the Epilepsy Society, that throughout her reign, in spite of all the demands on her time as monarch, the Queen remained a loyal and constant supporter of our charity and of the 600,000 people in the UK with epilepsy.
“Epilepsy is often considered something of a Cinderella condition, slightly in the shadows and often overlooked. But the Queen’s stalwart position as our patron meant royal recognition for the condition. It meant solidarity, empathy and understanding.
“We often say that epilepsy has no respect for kings and castles. It can affect anyone of any race, faith, age or gender. The Queen’s patronage of the Epilepsy Society was a great testimony to this.”
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