Tom Parker Bowles’ girlfriend, 42, dies after shock cancer diagnosis

Parker Bowles’ girlfriend died of cancer at the age of 42, leaving him “devastated”, it has been reported.

The mother of three died peacefully at her home on March 17, seven months after she was diagnosed with the disease.

A friend told the Daily Mail that Parker Bowles had been “blissfully happy” in his relationship with Ms Procope, after splitting from his wife Sarah Buys in 2018.

“Tom had been happy with Alice and is devastated that life can be so cruel,” said the source.

Procope was known as Alice Horton while working as a newspaper reporter.

She was the granddaughter of the second Viscount Ingleby and had three young children with her ex-husband, Robert Procope, the grandson of Baronet Sir Robert Wigram.

The friend added: “Partly due to Covid, Alice’s cancer diagnosis didn’t come until last August, when it was too late.

“That is the really cruel thing and there will be many others like her.”

Tom Teodorczuk, who worked with Ms Procope at the London Standard newspaper in 2003-2004, paid tribute to her on Saturday.

“She was a great journalist, she was very well connected and she was incredibly fun to work with,” she said.

“She knew everyone in those days, including Boris Johnson.

“We are going to miss her a lot. I was very sad to learn of her death, she was so young.”

Prince Charles is said to be close to Parker Bowles.

In 2018, Parker Bowles moved out of the Shepherd’s Bush home he shared with Sara and her two children after 12 years of marriage.

He has written five cookbooks and won an award for his work in 2010. He has hosted several food shows and recently appeared on MasterChef.