In an emotional speech, the Queen pulled at the heartstrings. At our lowest ebb, it can often be a look, a smile, unexpected words or help from a stranger that gives us the strength to go on...
She is one of the most influential and powerful voices in the country and she has never been afraid to stand up for women’s rights especially the rights of the most vulnerable.
So it came as no surprise that, when the Queen held a reception for 300 guests at Buckingham Palace, it was to relaunch her Wash Bags project to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse.
Since her official visit to the Croydon Rape and Sexual
Abuse Support Centre in 2009, the Queen has committed herself to stopping violence against nearly 800,000 women and 275,000 men who suffer attempted or actual sexual assault every year in England and Wales – although the true figures are likely to be higher.
She has also visited projects and initiatives across the world, tirelessly speaking out to reduce rates of sexual assault and support survivors, both in the immediate aftermath of their assault and in the longer term.
The Queen’s Wash Bags initiative – containing toiletries as basic as shower gel, shampoo, a flannel, toothbrush, toothpaste and a comb – first launched in 2013 and was offered to Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) across the country.
In an emotional speech, Queen Camilla, 76, reportedly told her guests that she found it unfathomable this ‘crumb of comfort’ had not been previously available to those finding themselves in such a ‘horrendous position’, and undergoing forensic examinations.
Her Majesty spoke of how she has encountered first-hand many who sadly have found themselves in this position and went on to read a letter from the mother of a survivor who had appreciated ‘the kindness of strangers at a very dark time’.
Speaking to a room full of women who have helped survivors in countless ways such as volunteering, donations and professional support, she said: ‘Two years ago, Jane (a fake name) attended a SARC, with her mother and sister, for a full forensic examination just hours after being attacked. ‘This was described by her mother as a ‘horrible, if necessary, event. We were preparing to leave and were all feeling very low and subdued. Jane’s personal contact then returned with a wonderful bag of toiletries and items to pamper and relax her. This simple act completely changed the atmosphere and lifted our moods.
