Gisele Pelicot is the French woman who became an international heroine in recent years. Pelicot’s husband spent years drugging her and inviting men to come to their home to rape his unconscious wife. As a victim of hundreds of crimes, Gisele Pelicot refused her right to privacy to take all of her abusers to trial in open court. She has spoken out repeatedly about her ordeal in order to get justice for herself and other victims. Dozens of men were convicted. Many prominent women wrote letters of support to Pelicot, including Queen Camilla. Gisele Pelicot even spoke about how Camilla’s letter really moved her and she really appreciated Camilla’s words. Well, Pelicot has written a memoir, and she stopped by the palace to see Camilla.
The Queen has told rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot she was left “speechless” by the account of her ordeal in her new memoir. A long-time campaigner against domestic violence and sexual abuse, the Queen invited Ms Pelicot to Clarence House after reading her book in “two days”.
“I couldn’t put it down,” she told the 73-year-old, whose former husband was jailed for 20 years in 2024 for drugging and raping her and allowing other men to rape her while she was unconscious. The abuse lasted almost a decade, with 50 men found guilty of rape or sexual offences following a trial in Avignon, France.
Since waiving her right to anonymity as a survivor of sexual abuse, saying she wanted shame to fall on her abusers, not herself, Ms Pelicot has become a global feminist icon. Her memoir, A Hymn to Life, was released in 22 languages last week, with a launch at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Friday that featured readings from Hollywood actresses Kate Winslet, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliet Stevenson.
On Monday, Ms Pelicot had a 30-minute meeting with the Queen at her official London residence, where Her Majesty told her: “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.”
Ms Pelicot was joined by her new partner, Jean-Loup Agopian, a retired Air France steward, as well as her literary and legal team. She spoke to the Queen through an interpreter. Her Majesty’s opening words after greeting her guest and Mr Agopian were in French. She joked how she studied the language “60 years ago” but had “forgotten” it all.
During the informal chat, Ms Pelicot talked about receiving “incredible strength” from people. In response, the Queen told the 73-year-old “you have so much support”. The Queen also mentioned the standing ovations the survivor received from the sell-out audience of more than 2,000 on Friday night at her book launch.
Nothing I’m about to say is directed at Gisele Pelicot and the ordeal she endured. She’s incredible, brave and she has enormous courage. She has every right to take inspiration from whoever she wants, and she has every right to meet with Camilla and whoever else. Put that to the side. I find it galling that Camilla has chosen this moment to go all-in on her anti-sexual/domestic-violence work while saying absolutely nothing about the predators in her family. Her degenerate brother-in-law lied for years about his involvement with a sex-trafficking PDFile. Her degenerate brother-in-law was abusing trafficked girls and women for years, and Camilla is incapable of making a statement centering Andrew’s victims and Epstein’s victims.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- (left to right) Stuart Williams, Susanna Lea, Queen Camilla, Madame, Gisele Pelicot, Jean-Loup Agopian, Klara Zak and Stephane Babonneau after an audience at Clarence House in London. Picture date: Monday February 23, 2026.,Image: 1077877994, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla (left) with Madame Gisele Pelicot during an audience at Clarence House in London. Picture date: Monday February 23, 2026.,Image: 1077878013, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla (left) with Madame Gisele Pelicot during an audience at Clarence House in London. Picture date: Monday February 23, 2026.,Image: 1077878020, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla (left) with Madame Gisele Pelicot during an audience at Clarence House in London. Picture date: Monday February 23, 2026.,Image: 1077878027, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla (left) receives Madame Gisele Pelicot (right) during an audience at Clarence House in London. Picture date: Monday February 23, 2026.,Image: 1077878104, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
She’s irony impaired.
“Irony impaired” is such a great phrase. Look, Pelicot, as stated above, is an established hero. She’s been through a hell most of us can’t even imagine, and I would never judge her for accepting any support or warmth that comes her way. I wish her nothing but the best of all experiences, and this sounds like it was a nice experience for her.
BUT it’s easy for Cammie to embrace someone who is already a pre-determined acceptable cause. Call me when Cams breaks ranks and challenges expectations by supporting a victim of her own legal family.
I agree with your take on this and the gall she has when her brother-in-law is pedo!!!!
^^^All of this. ^^^
And not for nothing it’s shocking that, with the exception of Charles, it seems that none of the BRF can converse in a foreign language. It speaks volumes.
She and her staff may have THOUGHT in their oblique British royalty way that she was sort of indirectly “doing her bit” on this topic. An opportunity say all the right things without having to touch the dirt close to home. If so, I don’t agree at all, but this framing would not be a surprise. They are masterful about being tone deaf. Same for William and Cathy’s “Ditto! What he said” addendum to Charles’ statement. But then, Elizabeth didn’t “get it” either. They’re just so damn insulated and above it all, purely self-serving whilst pretending to serve the people.
She didn’t pick this moment to go ‘all in,’ Camilla has been doing work in this arena for many years now. I get that she isn’t a great person, but it isn’t her responsibility to say a damn thing about Andrew. Women shouldn’t be expected to bear the burden for men’s crimes.
I’m going to side with you on this. Elizabeth left Charles holding the bag and now it’s his problem to solve. Despite her title, Camilla isn’t in a position to be making statements without Charles’ approval and was even less so before Charles ascended to the throne. What Camilla can do now is speak through her actions and supporting Gisele Pelicot is one way to do it.
Camilla is friends with Clarkson who wrote that ugly comment about Meghan.
I always have a hard time believing Camilla is on the side of any woman after what she put Princess Diana through starting when Diana was very young. So I side eye Camilla’s motivation in all of this.
I’ve seen people praising Camilla for organizing this meeting during this time. I think it’s very performative and manipulative. Plus her comments to Gisele are very off putting. She’s speaking like she’s read a thriller and not a story of abuse and trauma.