Her husband is one of the star attractions at this year’s Conservative party conference.
But it was Susie Cleverly, the wife of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who drew the attention as she arrived for yesterday’s sessions looking radiant in red.
A beaming Mrs Cleverly, 50, wore a John Lewis spot-print tea dress from a previous season with a matching red clutch bag and croc effect high heels.
It is less than two years since she was hit by a shock diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. She underwent gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy, which came with dreadful side effects that she described as a ‘tsunami of horror coming towards me’, immunotherapy and a mastectomy.
Speaking of her post-cancer philosophy, Mrs Cleverly said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph last year: ‘I’ve never been a great worrier, but now I embrace everything.
Susie Cleverly, the wife of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, drew the attention as she arrived for yesterday’s sessions at the Tory party conference in Manchester looking radiant in red
A beaming Mrs Cleverly, 50, wore a John Lewis spot-print tea dress from a previous season with a matching red clutch bag and croc effect high heels
The Foreign Secretary spoke movingly last year about her battle with breast cancer, saying he ‘could not speak or sleep’ when she was first diagnosed at the end of 2021
‘You can always be waiting for something better or something different to be around the corner, but anything can happen in the blink of an eye that changes everything. And that made me think, this is my life.
‘Even if I’m cancer-riddled for the rest of it, I’ve got to embrace what I’ve got. I have beautiful children, a loving husband… I should just enjoy it.’
She met Mr Cleverly, 54, when they were both studying at the University of West London. They married in 2000 and have two adult sons, Freddy and Rupert.
The Foreign Secretary spoke movingly last year about her battle with breast cancer, saying he ‘could not speak or sleep’ when she was first diagnosed at the end of 2021.
He also told the Mail at the weekend that his wife is helping him shed the pounds piled on during a year of diplomatic dinners.
‘We are in a much, much better place,’ he said. ‘The chemotherapy and radiotherapy has now been completed. As far as the medical profession is concerned there are no live cancer cells in her body.
‘She’s getting her energy levels back. She’s joined a gym, dragged me down there – it’s brilliant.
It is less than two years since she was hit by a shock diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. She underwent gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy
She met Mr Cleverly, 54, when they were both studying at the University of West London. They married in 2000 and have two adult sons, Freddy and Rupert
Mr Cleverly announced at the Tory conference that he will visit the Falkland Islands to show his fervent support for the territory’s self-determination and assert the UK’s control of them
The Foreign Secretary will be the first Cabinet minister to visit the archipelago since 2016
‘It was designed to help her get her fitness and energy levels up but I’ve actually managed to lose a few pounds off the back of it.’
Mr Cleverly announced at the Tory conference that he will visit the Falkland Islands to show his fervent support for the territory’s self-determination and assert the UK’s control of them.
He has been locked in a dispute with his Argentinian counterpart after Buenos Aires pulled out of a cooperation pact in March.
The Foreign Secretary will be the first Cabinet minister to visit the archipelago since 2016.
He told a late-night reception at the Conservative Party conference on Sunday: ‘Some of you may have noticed that because they have an election coming, they are trying to do a bit of flexing of their muscle when it comes to the people of the Falklands.
‘Now, I believe in the right of people having self-determination and the people of the Falklands have made their position clear and we need to return a Conservative government to make sure they and others around the world are protected.
‘And just to hammer home that point, I am going to take the opportunity to visit the Falklands because I think it is my job to make it absolutely clear that a Conservative government, as I said in my speech, it is only a Conservative government that can be trusted to look after the best interests of this country and those others around the world who rely on British good governance including, of course, the wonderful, brave people of Ukraine who are currently defending themselves against Russian aggression.’
The 2016 agreement between Argentina and the UK pledged to ‘improve co-operation on South Atlantic issues of mutual interests’.
It meant the two would agree to disagree on the sovereignty of the territory but work together on issues such as energy, shipping and fishing, and on identifying the remains of unknown Argentine soldiers killed in battle.
But at the G20 talks in New Delhi earlier this year, Argentinian foreign minister Santiago Cafiero informed Mr Cleverly his Government were abandoning the pact.