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A £22.50 charity ensemble fit for the King

Katy Lewis
BBC News, Hertfordshire
Ian Jones Photos King Charles III on the left is wearing a blue suit with a thin white stripe, a white shirt and pale blue tie. He is holding a glass in which there is clear liquid and a slice of lime. He is looking at Caroline Jones and smiling with a closed mouth. Caroline on the right is smiling, she wears a light green floral dress with a long string of pearls and pearl earrings in a gold setting. Ian Jones Photos
Caroline Jones said the King shared with her how pleased he was to be patron of Cancer Research UK - the role he took on from his mother

A woman wearing charity clothes for a year to raise money in memory of her mother, has worn an outfit costing just £22.50 to a Buckingham Palace reception.

Caroline Jones from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, joined guests including radio presenter Adele Roberts and actor Richard E Grant at a reception hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla for cancer charities.

The 56-year-old began Knickers Model's Own in 2015 to raise money for Cancer Research UK while in the early stages of grieving for her mother, Mary Benson, who died from breast cancer.

She said it was "an honour" to have been nominated by the charity to attend and the evening was "incredibly moving and inspirational".

Caroline Jones Caroline Jones stands outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. She wears a green floral dress and gold sandals. She is carrying a brown clutch bag. She has brown shoulder length hair with a fringe. An armed guard stands behind her in the palace grounds. He is looking on. Caroline Jones
Reflecting her charity shop challenge campaign, Ms Jones wore head-to-toe second-hand clothes to Buckingham Palace including a dress by Senes Paris and gold Marks & Spencer sandals

Mrs Benson, who died in October 2014, had been a volunteer at the charity's Harpenden shop for 13 years, so Ms Jones decided on a year-long campaign to honour her memory.

Naming the challenge to reflect that only her underwear was new, she hoped to raise £1,000, but her daily posts became so popular she raised about £70,000.

She wore clothes from the charity's shops for 365 days and posted her outfits on social media. This year she is doing the same challenge and is posting her 2025 pictures alongside the corresponding 2015 images.

Caroline Jones Caroline Jones stands on the red-carpeted steps of Buckingham Palace. She wears a green floral dress and is carrying a brown clutch bag. She has brown shoulder length hair with a fringe. She is smiling at the camera.Caroline Jones
Ms Jones said she was honoured to be invited to Buckingham Palace

Ms Jones said the reception at the palace was to "recognise community-based cancer support".

It was in honour of community projects helping people who are living with cancer and for health groups trying to prevent cancer.

She said the King shared with her how pleased he was to be patron of Cancer Research UK, the role he took on from his mother, Elizabeth II.

Reflecting her campaign, Ms Jones wore head-to-toe second-hand with a dress by Senes Paris (£8.50) and gold Marks and Spencer sandals (£4.50), and she held a vintage clutch (£9.50).

"It was such an emotional evening," she said, "the ballroom was full of inspirational people, each with their own cancer story.

"Moments like this, when the cancer community comes together is a reminder of why I am fundraising and gives me to push to carry on."

Caroline Jones On the left is Caroline Jones in 2015. She has short brown hair. She wear a white blouse and an olive green jacket with blue jeans and holds a tan bag. She is wearing a red tartan scarf. On the right is Caroline Jones in 2025. She has brown shoulder-length hair and a fringe. She is wearing a cream blouse and tank top with an olive green jacket, blue trousers, a tan bag and brown lace up shoes. The background in both is the same grey garage doors.Caroline Jones
Same model, same backdrop, same shoes, same cause. From 1 January Caroline Jones has been posting a new picture (right) alongside her corresponding 2015 picture (left)
Caroline Jones Caroline Jones stands against a white panelled background. She wears a green floral dress and is holding her invitation which is printed on white card. She has brown shoulder length hair with a fringe and wears pearl earrings.Caroline Jones
Ms Jones was nominated to attend the reception by Cancer Research UK

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