Queen Elizabeth II has been revealed to be such a fan of Strictly Come Dancing that she even wrote a letter of support to a former contestant's father.
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The late monarch said she had "enjoyed watching" former Royal Marine JJ Chalmers competing on the BBC show in a handwritten note to his dad, Rev John Chalmers, who was appointed as one of Her Majesty's chaplains in 2013.
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Sharing the connection with BBC presenter Huw Edwards on Monday, JJ said it was "remarkable" that his family had two connections to the royal family; while his father knew the late Queen for many years, the 35-year-old is a friend of Prince Harry's, and competed in the Invictus Games in 2014.
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JJ said that the Queen had mentioned him in a note she wrote to his father following the death of Prince Philip in 2021, explaining: "One of the loveliest things I've ever seen, following the death of her husband, my father had written to her, and she returned a letter, which was typed and had all the expected notes with it.
The Queen reportedly said she enjoyed watching JJ Chalmers on Strictly
"But at the bottom, there was a handwritten message. It said "I've just realised that the JJ Chalmers that I've been watching on the coverage of my husband's funeral is the same JJ Chalmers that you told me of being injured all those years ago'. And also a line that said 'and the same JJ Chalmers I enjoyed watching on Strictly Come Dancing'."
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JJ competed on Strictly Come Dancing alongside Amy Dowden in 2020, and finished in sixth place. Prince Harry also supported his friend during his time on Strictly, and made a surprise appearance via a Zoom call that was broadcast on the show.
JJ Chalmers is also friends with Prince Harry
"When I first met JJ, he was a shell of himself,” Harry said during his cameo appearance. "But then to see you shine through Invictus and to become like yourself again - that was the start of an amazing journey."
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