London, UK - The royal family has been hit by a tragedy again. The girlfriend of Tom Parker-Bowles, Camilla's son, died of cancer at the age of just 42.

Tom, a restaurant critic, is Camilla's son from her first marriage, before she tied the knot with Prince Charles (72).

He was reportedly head-over-heels in love with journalist Alice Procope, whom he had been dating for two years.

According to the Daily Mail, Tom is devastated following the sudden death of his girlfriend.

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"Tom had been blissfully happy with Alice and is devastated that life can be so cruel," a friend was quoted as saying.

Apparently, the journalist's illness was discovered too late amid the pandemic. She was diagnosed only in August 2020, and even intense treatment couldn't save her. She passed sway at her home on March 17.

Alice leaves behind three young children with her ex-husband, Robert Procope: Katherine, Wilfred and Georgia.

Tom Parker-Bowles is reportedly close to his step-dad Prince Charles, and handled his mother's split from his biological father quite well.

Alice Procope's death comes at a time of growing fears that people are being diagnosed too late during the coronavirus pandemic. The UK's health system was nearing collapse amid the crisis, making a trip to the hospital all the more complicated last year.

As a consequence, many people only started their cancer treatment later – sometimes too late, as Alice Procope's tragic story shows.