In a powerful display of solidarity with survivors of sexual violence, Queen Camilla hosted French author and activist Gisèle Pelicot at Clarence House on Monday for a private meeting that underscored the global impact of Pelicot’s advocacy. The Queen revealed she had read Pelicot’s memoir, “Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides,” in just two days, confessing she was left “speechless” and “shocked” by the harrowing account despite her extensive work with survivors.
The meeting, conducted primarily through an interpreter, saw the Queen initially addressing her guests in French, humorously noting her skills were rusty after 60 years. Pelicot, accompanied by her partner Jean-Loup Agopian and her legal and literary team, discussed the incredible public support she has received since waiving her anonymity.
Pelicot’s case gained worldwide attention in 2024 when a French court heard how her then-husband, Dominique, had drugged her unconscious for years and recruited dozens of men online to rape her. The subsequent 16-week trial resulted in 46 convictions for rape, with Dominique receiving the maximum 20-year sentence. Pelicot’s presence at the trial, and her message that shame should transfer from victim to perpetrator, resonated globally, inspiring daily gatherings of supporters outside the courtroom.
The Clarence House meeting followed Pelicot’s sold-out book launch at London’s Royal Festival Hall, which featured readings by Hollywood actresses Kate Winslet, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Juliet Stevenson. Last year, Queen Camilla had sent Pelicot a personal letter praising her “extraordinary dignity and courage,” which Pelicot described as overwhelming and has since framed in her office. The Queen told Pelicot during their meeting that she has “inspired women across the globe” and created “a powerful legacy that will change the narrative around shame, forever.”