Duchess of Cambridge's Royal carol concert invitation "an honour" for Cambridgeshire teenager
Click here to see a report by ITV Anglia reporter Stuart Leithes
A teenage fundraiser has spoken of the "honour" of attending the Royal Christmas carol service at the invitation of the Duchess of Cambridge.
Fifteen-year-old Stuie Delf was invited to be part of the congregation at Westminster Abbey, along with his mother and father Carla and Stuart, as one of the "unsung heroes" of the pandemic and for raising thousands for a charity of which the Duchess is a patron.
The special event can be seen on ITV on Christmas Eve at 7.30pm.
In May 2020, Stuie raised £17,000 for the charity East Anglia's Children's Hospices in memory of his brother Fraser, by running 5k every day for the whole month.
His achievement caught the eye of the Duchess, who is a patron of the hospices as well as the Duchess of Cornwall and Captain Sir Tom Moore - the man Stuie says was his inspiration - who all praised his fundraising.
He said: "It was an honour to be invited by the Duchess of Cambridge to go to such a lovely place like Westminster Abbey."
Mrs Delf said it had been a proud occasion for the family, who live in Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.
"It was a real privilege to have the invitation by the Duchess of Cambridge but also we were really proud of Stuie to be recognised for all the fundraising he had done for EACH," she added.
"They are just an amazing charity for families like us that are in need. They didn't just look after Fraser, they looked after us as a family and made sure that we were cared for."
The money Stuie raised has been used to fund the running of EACH's Milton Hospice in Cambridge, which is where his brother - who had a rare disease - was cared for until he died.
Spearheaded by The Duchess, and supported by The Royal Foundation, the Together At Christmas carol service was attended by unsung heroes like Stuie from across the UK in recognition of their inspirational efforts to protect and care for those around them.
Individuals whom the Duke and Duchess had met and spent time with during their recent engagements and project work were invited. They joined armed forces personnel who were involved in the evacuation of Kabul, young carers, faith leaders, and guests who may be more vulnerable or isolated within our society.
Royal Carols: Together At Christmas can be seen on ITV at 7.30pm on Christmas Eve