In a powerful statement against online harassment, Queen Camilla issued a resolute defense of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, during a reception held at Buckingham Palace in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The 76-year-old monarch, joined by Queen Mathilde of Belgium at the event, used her platform to denounce the recent wave of social media attacks directed at Middleton. The Duchess found herself under fire following a controversy surrounding the editing of a family photo this week.
As President of the foundation Women of the World (WOW), Queen Camilla delivered a poignant speech advocating for gender equality and the cessation of cyberbullying targeting women.
Drawing inspiration from history, she recounted the suffragette protest of 1914, during which stones were hurled at Buckingham Palace as a symbolic act of defiance against the oppression faced by women.
"These stones represented hope to the women who threw them – hope that, in the future, they would not be victims of their history, nor of the social and economic forces that were ranged against gender equality," Queen Camilla stated passionately, holding up the historic artifacts. "Above all, they represented the hope that it was possible."
In a nod to the present, Queen Camilla emphasized the significance of the guests gathered at Buckingham Palace, asserting that they, too, embody hope for women today and tomorrow.
Amid the serious tone of her speech, there was a moment of lightheartedness when Queen Camilla was presented with a Barbie doll fashioned in her likeness.
Delighted by the gesture, she exclaimed, "Thank you very, very much indeed. It's brilliant," adding humorously, "You've taken about 50 years off my life." In a playful remark, she concluded, "We should all have a Barbie!"
