On Monday, February 23, Queen Camilla<\/strong><\/a> welcomed Gis\u00e8le Pelicot,<\/strong> the French woman who testified against her husband<\/a> in a high-profile rape trial last year, to her home in the royal residence of Clarence House. Over tea, the two women discussed Pelicot\u2019s book, A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides<\/a>,<\/em> which chronicles how Pelicot escaped marital sexual violence. The wife of King Charles<\/strong><\/a> said she read the 320-page story in two days. \u201cI couldn\u2019t put it down,\u201d said Queen Camilla, according to The Times<\/a>.<\/em> \u201cI\u2019ve met so many survivors of rape and sexual assault that I thought I couldn\u2019t be shocked by anything anymore, but your story overwhelmed me\u2014it left me speechless.\u201d Pelicot was joined by her partner, Jean-Loup Agopian,<\/strong> and her editorial and legal team for the visit, the BBC<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n Queen Camilla and Gis\u00e8le Pelicot at Clarence House on February 23, 2026.<\/p>\n <\/span>Getty Images via AFP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n After saying a few words in broken French (the queen joked that she had \u201cforgotten\u201d the language after studying it \u201c60 years ago\u201d), Camilla spoke with the help of an interpreter. In particular, she assured Pelicot of the public\u2019s \u201cincredible support\u201d following the trial held at the end of 2024. In December of that year<\/a>, Pelicot\u2019s former husband, Dominique,<\/strong> was found guilty of aggravated rape and other charges, and following a monthslong trial, the court found 46 accomplices guilty<\/a> of rape, two guilty of attempted rape, and two guilty of sexual assault.<\/p>\n Pelicot, who was a frequent presence in the courtroom, has been in London for several days as part of the promotional tour for her book. She took part in the launch party for the UK edition, held at the Royal Festival Hall. On this occasion, in front of a full house, excerpts were read by actors Kate Winslet, Kristin Scott Thomas,<\/strong> and Juliet Stevenson.<\/strong><\/p>\n The fight against sexual and domestic violence<\/a> has been one of Queen Camilla\u2019s commitments for almost 20 years. She regularly addresses institutions on this subject, and supports associations working in the field to help victims and carry out prevention operations. Recently, Camilla confided that she herself had been the victim of an assault<\/a> committed by a man when she was a teenager. A year ago she wrote a letter to Pelicot<\/a> \u201cexpressing her utmost support\u201d and paying tribute to her \u201cextraordinary dignity and courage.\u201d<\/p>\n Queen Camilla and Gis\u00e8le Pelicot at Clarence House on February 23, 2026.<\/p>\n <\/span>Getty Images via AFP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/699de152bba743918647fc4f\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/AFP__20260223__2262693415__v3__HighRes__AudiencesWithQueenCamillaAtClarenceHouse.jpg\"\/)
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