Broadcaster and former Royal Marine JJ Chalmers has revealed he found out that the Queen watched him perform on Strictly after she sent a handwritten note to his father.
JJ, who counts Prince Harry, 37, among his friends, was seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2011, in a blast that killed two of his colleagues.
The 35-year-old, who was born in Edinburgh, suffered a broken neck, lost two fingers, and almost lost both his arms in an explosion.
While undergoing some 30 operations over the following four years, the former military man won a medal in the 2014 Invictus Games, scooping a bronze for GB in non-amputee cycling.
He also started a career in broadcasting, covering events including the death of Prince Philip in 2021, and taking part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2020.
JJ Chalmers (pictured), an Edinburgh-born former Royal Marine and now broadcaster, spoke to Huw Edwards today amid ongoing coverage of the Queen’s death about the sweet note his Dad, one of Her Majesty’s chaplains had received about his time on Strictly
The ex military man, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 (pictured), revealed that the Queen had watched the programme
Her Majesty (pictured here in October 2021), sent a handwritten note to JJ Chalmers’ father, saying she ‘enjoyed’ watching his son perform on Strictly
Aside from JJ’s relationship with Prince Harry, his family had another royal connection: his father Rev John Chalmers was appointed as one of Her Majesty’s chaplains in 2013.
Discussing the connection with BBC presenter Huw Edwards today, as part of the ongoing coverage around the Queen’s death, JJ said: ‘It’s a remarkable thing to have a relationship with the royal family of my own, and then the relationship my father’s had for a very long time with the Queen, and some of the occasions that I’ve met her with my father.’
JJ added that the Queen had mentioned him in a note she wrote to his father following the death of Prince Philip.
He said: ‘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.
‘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”.’
He added: ‘And also a line that said “and the same JJ Chalmers I enjoyed watching on Strictly Come Dancing”.’
Speaking earlier in the interview about the Queen’s relationship with the forces, JJ said they saw her as the ‘boss’.
He said: ‘First and foremost she was our Commander-in-Chief. She was the boss. And I say that as a real term of endearment, we called her the boss, that’s a real respect.
He added: ‘Also, apart from the formal role she held at the top of the military, is actually her time as a veteran herself, serving during the Second World War as a mechanic, the first woman in the royal family to serve in a full-time role within the miliatry.
‘That understanding of what it means to serve, not just your country, but in the armed forces.’
JJ Chalmers opened up about the handwritten note from the Queen while speaking with the BBC’s Huw Edwards, saying the Queen had written she’d realised JJ Chalmers was the same person ‘I enjoyed watching on Strictly Come Dancing.’
During his recovery, JJ had to learn how to walk again and got to know Prince Harry, left, due to his involvement with the Duke’s Invictus Games (pictured in 2016)
The interview came ahead of the BBC broadcasting the procession of the Queen’s coffin through Edinburgh today.
Her casket was draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers consisting of white Spray Roses, white Freesias, white button chrysanthemums, dried white heather from Balmoral, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.
As the national anthem played the coffin was gently lowered into the hearse, watched by a visibly emotional King Charles and his siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The Queen’s coffin was placed into the hearse from the Palace of Holyroodhouse on its way to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh
The Queen’s casket was draped with the Royal Standard in Scotland and dressed with a wreath of flowers consisting of white Spray Roses, white Freesias, white button chrysanthemums, dried white heather from Balmoral, spray eryngium, foliage, rosemary, hebe, and pittosporum.
Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward line up to follow the hearse carrying their mother on her final journey
The Queen’s children followed by the Princess Royal’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence (centre left)
King Charles III (L), Britain’s Princess Anne, Princess Royal (2L), Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Britain’s Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex walk behind the procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral, on the Royal Mile
Bagpipes played the National Anthem from Holyrood Palace as the Queen’s coffin cortege began the walk up the Royal Mile.
The hearse was flanked by a Bearer Party found by The Royal Regiment of Scotland and The King’s Body Guard for Scotland. Mounted police in ceremonial dress rode ahead of the parade.
King Charles walked solemnly in step with his brothers and sister behind his beloved mother. The assembled well-wishers fell silent as the hearse appeared. The crowd then broke out in spontaneous applause as the cortège approached and many shouted God Save the King and God Save the Queen.
Around 30 minutes later the Queen arrived at St Giles’ Cathedral where her body will lie at rest for 24 hours after a service in her honour.
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