Lewes brain tumour patient receives ‘Royal treatment’ as model for Crowning Glory Coronation hats

Linda Goode, a freelance PE teacher and advisor from Lewes, East Sussex, was chosen to model one of 22 hats created by some of the biggest names in UK millinery to be auctioned in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.

The 50-year-old, who is an identical triplet, was diagnosed with a brain tumour, later identified as a glioblastoma (GBM) – which has a devastatingly short prognosis of just 12-18 months – in October 2021.

It followed problems she had been having with her speech and seizures which started weeks later. She has since undergone surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy and has been stable for more than six months.

Linda, who was accompanied by her husband Phil, said: “It was really nice to be pampered, to have my hair and make-up done by professionals and get styled, because you rarely get the opportunity for that. It was a lovely day and I felt flattered that Phil and I were invited.

“I modelled a John Boyd hat, created by Sarah Marshall and called Royal Wave. I loved it and thought it looked really stylish. The hard work that went into creating it was instantly obvious and I felt quite special wearing it. Being asked to do so really felt like the cherry on the cake after getting styled and having my hair done.”

Sarah’s creation is part of a unique collection of haute couture millinery, created by members of the British Hat Guild, which includes pieces by royal milliners Stephen Jones OBE and Rachel Trevor-Morgan. It will be on show during the highest profile weekends of the summer season as part of a Crowning Glory: A Milliners’ Celebration of All the King’s Colours exhibition.

Linda, whose sons Ben and Jonah ran the Brighton Marathon and Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon respectively in aid of Brain Tumour Research last year, added: “Funding for research is massively important to ensure there’s a pathway to a cure for others. If I’m not around, I’d like to think other people going through what I am have hope. I would encourage everyone to get involved in the auction, either by raising awareness of it or by bidding on the beautiful hats themselves.”

The hat collection will be hosted by The Jockey Club over the Coronation weekend at the QIPCO Guineas Festival in Newmarket (May 5 –7) and The Derby at Epsom Downs on June 2 and 3, an event loved by the Queen who attended on all but five occasions during her 70-year reign.

Also on display will be a signed set of royal silks from last year’s Platinum Jubilee Derby where the most successful Royal jockeys from across the sport created a guard of honour.

The one-off pieces hold a retail value of between £350 and £2,000 and are fashioned in combinations of scarlet, purple, black and gold, the colours of the royal racing silks, to celebrate the Coronation.

They will be promoted online using the hashtag #AllTheKingsColours and will feature in an online auction (https://app.galabid.com/allthekingscolours/items) until 11 June, with proceeds going to the charity.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer and the awareness and funds raised by this fantastic project, which really captures the excitement and expectation as we mark the historic moment of the King’s Coronation, will help us as we work towards finding a cure for this devastating disease.

“It was wonderful to see Linda modelling a stunning John Boyd hat at an event held at Epsom Downs – her involvement in this unique event is hugely appreciated.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

To find out more, go to: braintumourresearch.org/crowning-glory