Queen Camilla Has Tea With Sexual Violence Survivor Gisèle Pelicot | EUROtoday

PARIS (AP) — Britain’s Queen Camilla advised French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot on Monday that she was left “speechless” by Pelicot’s memoir, as the 2 met over tea at Clarence House in a non-public assembly wealthy with symbolism.

Pelicot, 73, is in Britain on the finish of a U.Okay. tour for her memoir, “A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides,” which was launched Friday at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

The occasion drew a sellout crowd of greater than 2,000, with readings by actors Kate Winslet, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliet Stevenson.

Camilla welcomed Pelicot and her associate, Jean-Loup Agopian, and the 2 ladies spoke for about half-hour by means of an interpreter.

The queen opened in French and joked she had studied the language 60 years in the past however had forgotten it.

Camilla, who has lengthy campaigned towards home violence and sexual abuse, advised Pelicot she had learn the memoir in simply two days.

“I couldn’t put it down,” Camilla stated.

“I’ve met so many survivors of rape and sexual abuse I never thought I could be shocked by anything any more, but I was shocked at your case. It left me speechless,” she added.

The assembly got here at a fraught second for the monarchy, because the royal household confronts renewed scrutiny over the fallout from the Andrew-Epstein scandal — a disaster that has once more raised questions on accountability, privilege and the way establishments reply to sexual abuse.

Against that backdrop, observers stated that Camilla’s embrace of Pelicot carried added resonance for a royal family making an attempt to indicate ethical readability on violence towards ladies.

Pelicot grew to become a global image of resilience after waiving her anonymity and declaring that disgrace belonged together with her abusers, not together with her.

Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was jailed for 20 years for drugging and raping her and permitting different males to rape her whereas she was unconscious over practically a decade.

Fifty males have been discovered responsible of rape or sexual offenses after a trial in Avignon that led to December 2024.

During Monday’s assembly, Pelicot spoke of receiving “incredible strength” from supporters.

Camilla replied: “you have so much support.”

Camilla had written to Pelicot final yr praising her “extraordinary dignity and courage” — a letter Pelicot has stated she now retains framed in her workplace.