Women’s Day Reception at Buckingham Palace

Queen Mathilde of Belgium and the Duchess of Gloucester joined Queen Camilla as she hosted a Reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate International Women’s Day and to mark the end of the WOW Girls Festival Bus tour on March 12th.

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In the Grand Entrance, Queen Camilla, Queen Mathilde (wearing her Diamond Butterfly Brooch), and the Duchess of Gloucester met the Director of WOW, Jude Kelly, the Executive Director of WOW, Colette Bailey and the Director of Festivals and Programmes, Domino Pateman.

They then proceeded to the quadrangle where they visited the WOW Bus, parked at its final tour destination. The bus tour launched on 11th October – the International Day of the Girl – and concludes at Buckingham Palace following International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March. The WOW Girls Festival is a force for change across society in how it sees girls, their potential and the opportunities it offers for their future. Outside the bus, Queen Camilla, Queen Mathilde and the Duchess of Gloucester posed for a photo before boarding the bus and touring the activity stations. Queen Camilla met young people who have taken part in the festival whilst visiting the recording studio and craft sessions on board the bus, before moving to the Billiards Room to meet primary school children from across the UK who have taken part in the WOW Girls Festival.

Queen Mathilde and the Duchess of Gloucester joined Queen Camilla in the Bow Room to meet a group of high profile individuals including Dame Helen Mirren, Melanie Brown and her daughter, Phoenix Brown. Queen Camilla delivered a speech and join a reception of approximately 160 guests involved in the tour including young people, high profile individuals and supporters of WOW. The WOW Girls Festival Bus Tour was brought to a close at a reception hosted by President of WOW, Queen Camilla.