Leicester ‘Princess’ to swap glass slippers for running shoes as she takes on London Marathon

A ‘Princess’ from Leicester will be taking on the London Marathon challenge to grant magical wishes for seriously ill children.

Charlie Burnham, 27, is taking a break from her royal engagements to train for the London Marathon on April 21 to raise funds for ‘Rays of Sunshine’

Rays of Sunshine is a children’s charity that grants magical wishes for seriously ill children and provides ongoing support in hospitals and the community. In the last year alone, the charity has granted 358 wishes across the UK. 

For the past ten years, Charlie has helped bring fairy tale magic to life for children by dressing up as different princesses. Working with Rays of Sunshine, she has helped deliver wishes to give sick children and their families opportunities to create positive memories outside of treatment and hospitals.

From teatime with Elsa, to singing with Rapunzel, Charlie has helped brighten the lives of children when they need it most.

One of Charlie’s most memorable and favourite moments as a princess was a wish granted by Rays of Sunshine for a wish child who wanted to dance with Elsa. It was such a special moment for Charlie, as well as meaning the world to the family. 

Charlie said, “They couldn’t believe that Elsa was coming to the house. We were both Elsa chattering and singing away. It was a small intimate gathering with the family and just felt like a big celebration of life, and that’s what it truly was.”

Seeing the impact of the charity’s work first-hand as a princess is giving Charlie the motivation she needs to complete her first marathon and cross the iconic finish line.

“Whenever I feel like my mind is going off and I don’t want to carry on, I remember the cause I am running for. I put myself in the position of the families and children and that pushes me to keep going,” she said.  

“In the last hour of those long runs, I get a real sense of gratefulness for my health. I reflect on how grateful we should be for the opportunity of life and that we have our health to be able to run when some people unfortunately can’t do what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

To support Charlie’s London Marathon run, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlie-Burnham