Prostate news article, January 2007
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SCIENTIST'S SURREAL INVITATION TO PALACE
Researcher Christiane Fenske meets The Queen (by bus!) |
| By royal approval: Dr Chrissie Fenske met the Queen. |
A scientist from Mitcham travelled to Buckingham Palace to meet members of the royal family in a reception held to honour British scientists.
Dr Chrissie Fenske, 46, who lives in Madeira Road, was nominated by Prostate Research Campaign UK to receive an invitation to meet the royal family last year.
The charity put her name forward in recognition of her work on new diagnostic tests for prostate cancer, which she hopes will save thousands of lives.
She said: "I applied to Prostate Research Campaign UK for a grant to research into the new test two years ago, and they have given me £75,000 for the project to date."
"The work was carried out in collaboration with St George's Hospital, in Tooting, where Professor Roger Kirby, one of Britain's leading urologists and Chairman of Trustees of Prostate Research Campaign UK, was the first to collaborate with my project."
Dr Fenske was stunned to be asked to Buckingham Palace and said the experience was almost surreal. She said: "It was quite strange dressing up in my new outfit and catching the 264 bus from Mitcham to Tooting Broadway and then getting on a crowded commuter Tube to Green Park."
"It was a glorious evening, walking through the park with the sun setting over the palace. I felt very grand going through the gates with tourists staring after me."
"I walked into this grand ballroom where so many exhibits were on show."
"So many royals were there - the Queen, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Duchess of Gloucester, who is patron of Prostate Research Campaign UK."
"She greeted me and I was amazed she knew who I was and all about my work. She'd clearly done her homework."
"We were fed a feast of canapés - smoked salmon, thick slices of rare roast beef and finally bite size portions of chocolate and lemon dessert."
"Before we knew it, it was all over and we were being ushered politely out of the door, glasses still in hand and almost without realising what was happening."
For more information on Prostate Research Campaign UK visit www.prostate-research.org.uk