27 March 2024 , 22:00
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Paul O’Grady’s husband Andre Portasio says he was touched by two heartfelt letters from Queen Camilla in the wake of the TV star's death.
Camilla worked closely with Paul in their support of Battersea Dogs and Cats home, with the pair making a number of public engagements together. However Andre - who sat down with The Mirror for an emotional and wide-ranging interview to mark a year since Paul's passing - admits he's yet to send his reply.
“Obviously, she’s the Queen of England, but for him she was just Camilla. You know, they could talk, and laugh, and just be normal with each other. I think probably that’s what she loved about him so much, apart from him being so funny of course.
“I haven’t replied to her super-sweet letters yet, as I wasn’t sure how to go about it… do I write Dear Camilla or Your Majesty?” Andre laughs. Maybe on the anniversary of his death I will finally write to her.”
In a wide-ranging Mirror interview with Tom Bryant - which you can read here - Andre Portasio reveals his plan to gift items to the V&A, saying Lily Savage’s items are for "the nation".
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“There is an amazing history of items in our loft that he kept over the years that no one ever got to see,” he explains. Among them are his husband’s famous dresses and wigs, as well as countless pieces of memorabilia.
The pair both worked closely with Battersea (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She's reached out to Paul's husband twice in the past 12 months (Phil Coburn / Daily Mirror)“I used to say to him that the Lily items were a slice of history but he was always very modest and called them a lot of tat,” Andre laughs. “I think by the end he was very tired of having to put on all the make-up and all the practical aspects of becoming Lily although he never fully retired her and she kept making comebacks.”
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While Paul was alive, Andre managed to persuade him to donate the odd item to the V&A, but there are endless other pieces he is now setting aside. “They don’t belong to me, they belong to the nation,” he says. “I feel the audience at large would absolutely love to see them again, and it’s weighing on me very heavily how I take his legacy forward.”
Paul O'Grady with his husband, Andre Portasio (Andre Portasio)Andre was talking on the anniversary of Paul’s death. He said he was humbled by the reaction of the public to his husband’s passing.
“I couldn’t leave the house for three weeks because people kept coming to leave flowers, cards, or even little miniature dogs. It just reinforced quite how popular and deeply loved he was.”
In the interview, Andre said he didn’t want to be in the same house on the anniversary itself. “I wanted to be as far away from it as possible in New Zealand. I don’t want to be anywhere near my kitchen where I found him, and be reminded of what happened.”
Rather touchingly, he’s bringing Paul’s passport along with him. “It will feel like he’s coming with me anyway, which is what he would have loved as he couldn’t do long-haul flights as he got older,” he says. “But he would have loved New Zealand, and on the day in question, I will remember him quietly in my own way.”