Camilla praised by royal fans for 'shedding light' on this poignant cause with her first speech as Queen Consort

Joined by a host of female royals and celebrities, the Queen Consort gave her first speech in her new role on a topic very close to her heart

• Camilla, the Queen Consort hosted royals and celebrities alike for a special event at Buckingham Palace to raise awareness of violence against women and girls.
• The event was organised as part of the UN’s 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and saw Camilla give a powerful statement.
• This royal news (opens in new tab) comes after Kate Middleton makes this special plea to royal fans ahead of Christmas (opens in new tab).

The Queen Consort (opens in new tab)was joined by a host of female royals and celebrities as she hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace, raising awareness of violence against women and girls, and giving her first speech in her new role.

The event, held as part of the UN’s annual campaign calling for the elimination of violence against women, saw the likes of Queen Rania of Jordan, Belgium’s Queen Mathilde and the Countess of Wessex all in attendance. Along with stars including Love Island’s Zara McDermott and Lorraine Kelly - all gathering to shine a spotlight on the global issue.

The Queen Consort marked her first speech in her new role by sharing a poignant statement (opens in new tab) on the prevention of violence against women and girls, which is a cause very close to her heart, as patron of charities like Save Lives and Barnados.

She said, “We are uniting today to confront, rightly, what has rightly been called a global pandemic of violence against women. Faced with such challenges, it can be hard to know what practical steps we can take to even begin to make a difference.

She then continued, “We refuse to be desensitized by cold facts and figures and we resolve to keep the names and the memories of these women alive.”

“I have learnt from my conversations with these brave survivors that what they want, above all, is to be listened to and believed, to prevent the same thing happening to others. They know there is power in their stories and that, in the telling, they move from being the victims of their histories to the authors of their own futures.”

A video from the event was also shared on Twitter, along with an excerpt from her speech, which royal fans were quick to praise.

One commented, “Thank you for shedding light on this important issue! The statistics are truly horrifying & heartbreaking!”

As another replied, “So much admiration for Her Majesty's work and advocacy supporting women and girls.”

With a third also adding, “What a powerful speech. It's such an important cause. The Queen is doing such a great job supporting it 👏👏👏👏.”