Gloria Hunniford has revealed that her grandson will marry in the same church as her late daughter Caron Keating.
Caron was diagnosed with breast cancer aged just 34 and passed away from the disease in 2004 aged 41, after a seven year fight.
And now Loose Women star Gloria’s grandson Charlie, 29, will have a piece of his late mother with him when he ties the knot – with the ceremony taking place in the same venue.
Charlie was only nine and his younger brother Gabriel seven when Caron sadly died leaving behind also her husband Russ Lindsay who she wed in 1991.
Gloria, 84, told Bella magazine: ‘We talk about her all the time and Charlie has decided that he wants to be married in the church his mum got married in.
Gloria Hunniford has revealed that her grandson Charlie will marry in the same church as her late daughter Caron Keating (Charlie and Gloria seen)
Charlie was only nine and his younger brother Gabriel seven when Caron sadly died leaving behind also her husband Russ Lindsay who she wed in 1991 (seen at their wedding)
‘That’s happening later this year, which I think is lovely. It made me cry when he told me. Charlie’s wedding will be a wonderful big family event.’
Caron is buried in the graveyard at the church, St Peter’s in Hever, Kent, and the family gathered there on April 13 to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.
She added of her pain: ‘To lose a child is the worst thing, in my opinion, that can ever happen to you. I was completely and utterly devastated and there was a point where I thought, ‘This could take me out as well’.’
Gloria held back tears as she talked about her late daughter Caron on Loose Women in 2021.
She discussed how she tries to ‘keep her alive in spirit’ on her birthday and other milestones for the sake of Caron’s sons Charlie and Gabriel.
During a discussion about how to deal with milestones in your life after you lose a loved one, Gloria said: ‘The first one [milestone] is agonising.
‘When we lost Caron – and her anniversary was just last week – I was determined in my own head, that her children, Charlie and Gabriel would mark occasions like Mother’s Day, like Christmas, like her birthday.
‘But on the date of her passing I try to keep it quite light.’
Caron was diagnosed with breast cancer aged just 34 and passed away from the disease in 2004 aged 41, after a seven year fight (Gloria and Caron seen)
Caron is buried in the graveyard at the church, St Peter’s in Hever, Kent, and the family gathered there on April 13 to mark the 20th anniversary of her death
She went on to explain how balloons left over from her 80th birthday helped mark the special occasion.
She said: ‘The ’80’ balloon was really big so I thought I’m going to let them off for Caron.
‘So when the boys were there we said ‘let’s send these to mum’ – we cut them loose and they went so high because they were filled with helium.
‘So we have fun times – we’ve been know to tie balloons to the gravestone, to send rockets off with little messages in them…’
She added: ‘I always think of the phrase ‘people never die if they live on the lips on the living’.
‘And that’s why I always like to talk about Caron to keep her alive in spirit and for her two boys.
‘It’s really important for me that they learn – cause they’re now in their 20s and I think for parents, grandparents in my case, you have to remind them that these days should be thought of.’
Caron was a television presenter who joined the Blue Peter team in the 1980s.
Gloria built up The Caron Keating Foundation in the wake of her daughter’s death.
Gloria, 84, told Bella magazine: ‘We talk about her all the time and Charlie has decided that he wants to be married in the church his mum got married in’
Caron was a television presenter who joined the Blue Peter team in the 1980s. Gloria built up The Caron Keating Foundation in the wake of her daughter’s death
Gloria held back tears as she talked about her late daughter Caron on Loose Women in 2021 (seen on the show)
She has previously discussed how Caron’s positive attitude had helped her loved ones cope with the devastating diagnosis.
Gloria said: ‘Caron never talked about losing her battle – she only ever talked about life. Her whole attitude to cancer was positivity. We all tapped in to that, and she became the teacher.’
She continued to say that at times she almost felt like there was ‘nothing wrong’ as their life was filled with so much fun.
Statistics show that just 4 per cent out of the 55,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year are under 40-years-old.