Queen Camilla stands up for Kate Middleton against online attacks

In a bold stand against the disturbing trend of online harassment, Queen Camilla made a powerful and unwavering defense of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, at a reception held in Buckingham Palace to commemorate International Women’s Day. This significant event witnessed the 76-year-old monarch, alongside Queen Mathilde of Belgium, utilizing her influential platform to condemn the recent surge of social media attacks directed at Middleton, who found herself amidst controversy following the editing of a family photo earlier in the week. As the President of the Women of the World (WOW) Foundation, Queen Camilla delivered a poignant and compelling speech, advocating not only for gender equality but also for an end to cyberbullying targeting women. Drawing inspiration from historical events, she recounted the suffragette protest of 1914, where stones were defiantly hurled at Buckingham Palace, symbolizing a courageous act of resistance 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, or of the social and economic forces that were ranged against gender equality,” passionately stated Queen Camilla, 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 profound significance of the esteemed guests gathered at Buckingham Palace, asserting that they too symbolize hope for women in both the present and the future. Amidst the serious tone of her speech, a moment of lightheartedness ensued 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.” Concluding with a playful remark, she stated, “We should all have a Barbie!”