Cancer sufferer dies just hours before planned meeting with the King Charles
Simon Boas has died at the age of 47
Jersey Overseas Aid
An "inspiring" aid worker who received a private letter of support from the King has died of cancer just hours before he was due to meet him.
Simon Boas, who worked for Jersey Overseas Aid, had been due to join the royal couple at a tea party on Monday.
The 47-year-old had received a personal letter from King Charles after his conditions worsened and he was moved into a hospice.
Sadly, he died on Monday, just hours before the King and Queen arrived in St Helier for a two-day visit to the Channel Islands.
Simon Boas has died at the age of 47
Jersey Overseas Aid
While the contents of the letter are private, it is understood the letter told Boas about what an inspiration he was and how the King was deeply moved by his story.
The letter was hand-delivered to Boas by Vice-Admiral Jerry Kyd, the island’s Lieutenant Governor, at Jersey Hospice last week.
A bottle of Muscadet, a personal favourite wine of Boas, was brought to the island as a gift.
However, he sadly died shortly before the King and Queen arrived, so instead the wine will be sent to his family.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla on a visit to Guernsey
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Boas, who was diagnosed with throat cancer last September, penned several articles about his diagnosis. He also wrote a book, entitled "A Beginner’s Guide to Dying", which is set to be published later this year.
The King and Queen are attending a special sitting of Guernsey’s Parliament as part of their two-day trip to the Channel Islands.
The pair, who were in Jersey on Monday, have travelled to Guernsey today in their first visit to the two bailiwicks, which are Crown Dependencies off the north-west coast of France, since the King acceded to the throne.
The King is known as the Duke of Normandy on the Channel Islands, dating from when William the Conqueror’s son, Henry I, seized the Duchy of Normandy, including the islands, in 1106. At official functions, islanders raise the loyal toast to "The Duke of Normandy, our King."
King Charles III And Queen Camilla meet with Somerville Tamsin, affectionately known as Tamtam! the Golden Guernsey Goat
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Jersey and Guernsey announced special public holidays to mark the royal visits on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
The Crown Dependencies are not part of the UK but are self-governing possessions of the British Crown.
When Queen Elizabeth II visited Jersey in 2001, she was presented with two dead ducks on a silver tray, part of an ancient tradition dating back to the Middle Ages when six seigneurs, lords of the manor, would pay homage to the sovereign as the Duke of Normandy with the mallards.