Queen Camilla meets First Lady of Ukraine less than 24 hours after hosting glitzy Buckingham Palace reception

Queen Camilla meets First Lady of Ukraine less than 24 hours after hosting glitzy Buckingham Palace reception

WATCH NOW: Queen praised for role in reviving young writers’ competition

GB News
Dorothy Reddin

By Dorothy Reddin


Published: 29/02/2024

- 11:29

Updated: 29/02/2024

- 12:07

The Queen has had a busy week performing royal duties while the King continues to receive cancer treatment

Queen Camilla met the First Lady of Ukraine less than 24 hours after hosting a glitzy Buckingham Palace reception.

Photographs show the Queen, looking resplendent in blue, sat in a meeting with the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, at Clarence House.


Camilla, 76, and Zelenska, 46, sat in the Garden Room, with their meeting coming just days after the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The pair met previously in November 2022 at a Buckingham Palace reception to raise awareness of violence against women.

Olena Zelenska and Queen Camilla

Olena Zelenska and Queen Camilla meeting in Clarence House

PA

Olena Zelenska and Queen Camilla

Olena Zelenska and Queen Camilla have previously met to discuss violence against women

PA

This meeting also came 24 hours after Queen Camilla hosted a glitzy reception at Buckingham Palace.

The finalists, judges and celebrity readers all gathered at the King's official residence to celebrate the final of the BBC's creative writing competition, 500 Words.

Queen Camilla is an avid advocate of reading, who has often praised her late father, Bruce Shand, for introducing her to the hobby.

The Queen even used her influence as the wife of King Charles to urge authors to resist curbs on freedom of expression.

Olena Zelenska and Queen Camilla

Olena Zelenska is the wife of President Zelensky of Ukraine

PA

Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla held a glitzy reception at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday

PA

At the time, this was seen as a reaction to the backlash against changes to Roald Dahl’s books to make them more politically correct.

Speaking at a Clarence House reception to mark the second anniversary of her online book club, Camilla told authors in February 2023: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”

The 76-year-old then looked up at the crowd with a smile and said: “Enough said,” which was interpreted as a subtle dig to the rewrites of Dahl's work.

Earlier this week, Queen Camilla led members of the Royal Family at a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece.

Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla discussed her love of reading at the event

PA

Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla learnt to love reading with her father

PA

Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla met finalists from the BBC competition at Buckingham Palace

PA

This was in the absence of King Charles, who is continuing to receive cancer treatment, and Prince William, who pulled out of attending at the last minute, citing a personal matter.

The Queen looked in good spirits as she arrived at St George's Chapel alongside Queen Anne-Marie, the late Greek King's widow.

Camilla was joined at Windsor Castle by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall.

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