AFTER LEUKAEMIA AND LOCKDOWN, WE TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED

Jane Witty, 45, an aircraft engineer, married Stuart, 54, a railway signaller, at carlton towers country estate, near Selby, north yorkshire. the couple live in eastrington, east yorkshire, with son connor, seven. Jane says: We decided to get married on a Friday thinking that way it wouldn’t clash with any other major events. Then, lo and behold, a few months later the future king and queen announced their wedding would be on the very same day.

Of course, some of our 42 guests couldn’t resist peeking at Kate and William’s nuptials on their phones. We found the subterfuge quite funny.

Our son was born two months after Prince George, in September 2013. A month later, i nagged Stuart into getting his persistent cough checked out, and we were horrified when he was diagnosed with hairy cell leukaemia. He began chemotherapy and, although the prognosis for this type of cancer is generally good, it was a very scary time.

Fortunately, the treatment was a success. But Stuart’s immune system was compromised and he has had to stay home throughout most of the pandemic, only returning to work this month.

it would have been difficult for us to have more children following Stuart’s treatment, but i certainly don’t envy William and Kate their three, as we’re very happy with the one we’ve got.

Ten years into marriage, we don’t take anything for granted — in a funny kind of way, Stuart’s illness means we now enjoy life even more.