Hollie Robinson Marsh became the most famous child in Britain in 1997 when she was photographed sitting on the lap of Princess Diana.
The iconic picture was taken at Diana’s last official engagement, a visit to Northwick Park Hospital, where the four-year-old Hollie was being treated for leukaemia.
After Diana died later that year, the picture was used to illustrate a certificate for a £5 memorial coin for the Princess.
The girl’s mum, Claire Robinson, recalled the day Hollie met Princess Diana.
“Diana picked Hollie up and put her on her lap. Hollie was a lot heavier than she expected and she said ‘my God, you weigh a ton’. That is why Hollie is laughing in the picture.”
“Hollie remembered meeting the princess but not the details of the day. She didn’t really mention it to people because she did not want to be different from anyone else,” Claire said.
Hollie recovered and went on to have a normal and happy childhood, but never forgot the happiness Diana brought to the sick children she visited.
Inspired by this, Hollie went on to study childcare, and started working with special needs children at the age of 16 through the organisation Kids Can Achieve.
Tragically, in what doctors said was a one in a million chance, Hollie’s leukaemia returned 16 years later. She was diagnosed on her 21st birthday started chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Her mum says she was incredibly positive.
“Hollie was just an amazing person. She never said ‘why me?’, she never cried, she just went with it,” her grieving mum recalled.
Hollie had been told by doctors that she needed a bone marrow transplant, and had even found a match with her brother Jake. Tragically, the treatments caused Hollie’s organs to fail before she could get the transplant.
Simon Jarrett, the chair of the children’s organisation Hollie worked with, has shared the shock and grief which has greeted her passing.
“We are terribly shocked and saddened by her death. She'd worked with us from the early days of our organisation. She is somebody who had gone through great trials herself and then gave up a career to work with children with very high levels of need.”
“We are terribly shocked and saddened by her death. She'd worked with us from the early days of our organisation. She is somebody who had gone through great trials herself and then gave up a career to work with children with very high levels of need.”
“She was a great worker and friend and we'll all miss her greatly. It's a really shocking loss we've suffered.”
