The Duchess of Cornwall has been left furious after Meghan Markle broke a pledge not to overshadow her speech on domestic violence today, it has been reported.
Pictures of Meghan Markle at the National Theatre were released as Camilla launched the Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre in London.
Buckingham Palace had urged royal correspondents to focus on the Duchess of Cornwall’s engagement on Friday which had been long-planned and came on a day when there were no other major Royal engagements.
But after images of Meghan’s secret visit to the National Theatre on Thursday were released – Camilla’s speech was quickly overshadowed.
On top of this, Meghan was filmed visiting a comprehensive school in east London this afternoon on her second day back in the UK.
Camilla was said to be ‘very upset’ at the release of the images which showed Meghan visiting a virtual reality technology at the theatre’s Immersive Storytelling Studio that aims to help people ‘better connect and empathise with each other as people, regardless of race, age or nationality.’
American former actress Meghan visited the National Theatre yesterday in her role as patron
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall speaks at the Grand Opening Session of the WOW Festival 2020 at Southbank Centre
Meghan speaks to National Theatre artistic director Rufus Norris during her visit yesterday
Hours after they were taken Meghan joined her husband Prince Harry at the Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House on their first joint royal engagement since the Megxit crisis began.
One well-placed insider told the Mirror: ‘Camilla’s work is very important to her and her decision to highlight the scourge of domestic violence at the 10th anniversary of Women of the World was a carefully thought-out plan.
‘Of course it was known Harry and Meghan would be doing engagements this week, some privately, but everyone was in agreement that Camilla’s speech should take precedence. Unfortunately some people had other ideas.’
The move sparked anger within the palace after Meghan ‘refused to listen’ to the pleas of staff and not issue the images.
A Buckingham Palace email to new organisations had said: ‘Please note that media arrangements have been designed specifically with a view to allowing royal correspondents to focus on the Duchess of Cornwall’s engagement on Friday.’
Meghan’s photographs, taken by the Sussex’s wedding photographer Chris Allerton, were revealed in a post on the official Sussex Royal Instagram on Friday. Meghan had delayed releasing them until after her appearance with Harry at the Endeavour Fund Awards.
The Duchess of Sussex was filmed getting out of a car and greeting teachers and staff outside Robert Clack Upper School in Dagenham (left and right)
The post said: ‘Yesterday, The Duchess of Sussex, Royal patron of the National Theatre, visited the Immersive Storytelling Studio in London, where emerging technology like Virtual Reality is being used to develop new forms of emotive storytelling.
‘Recently, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also visited Stanford University where part of their learning journey included a virtual reality presentation that allows the user to experience life through another person’s point of view.
‘The goal of this method of virtual reality is to enable us to better connect and empathise with each other as people, regardless of race, age or nationality.’
‘The Duchess is pictured here with Nubiya Brandon and her hologram, featured in the National’s exhibition ‘All Kinds of Limbo’, which is currently being presented at the Tate Modern.’
In her speech today the Duchess of Cornwall spoke out against the ‘heinous’ problem of domestic abuse as she launched this year’s Women of the World Festival.
Camilla, who is president of the organisation, addressed the opening session of the three-day event at the Southbank Centre in London.
She called for men to join the conversation and use their voices alongside women to raise awareness of the issue.
The duchess said the ‘taboo’ subject must become part of the national conversation, quoting the hashtag #everyonesproblem.
She said: ‘The campaign to end domestic violence needs the voices of men as well as women, challenging the cultural, economic and political context in which we all experience the world.
‘We will all benefit from building a society which will simply not tolerate this heinous crime any longer.’
The duchess is pictured here with a hologram of singer Nubiya Brandon, which was featured in the National’s exhibition All Kinds of Limbo. Meghan appears to be adopting a similar pose to the hologram
Meghan wore a organza puff-sleeved blouse from Topshop at the National Theatre yesterday
The Duchess of Sussex laughs during a visit to the National Theatre in London yesterday
Camilla joked that, as someone in her 70s, she is ‘a somewhat ancient technophobe’ but said she does know about hashtags.
She added: ‘And I’m now using my very first one – #everyonesproblem. Domestic abuse is everyone’s problem and the solution must be, too.’
Encouraging survivors not to feel shame or blame, she praised the bravery of people she has met who have emerged as ‘the victors not the victims’ of such experiences.
She described domestic abuse as a complicated issue, being perpetrated and experienced by both genders, and urged society to look at education from a young age.
She said: ‘Young people don’t set out to become abusers. We need to teach our young men and women what healthy and loving relationships are, and that it is never OK to treat anyone with less than respect.’
In her speech today the Duchess of Cornwall spoke out against the ‘heinous’ problem of domestic abuse as she launched this year’s Women of the World Festival
One in four British women will suffer domestic violence in their lifetime and two women a week were killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales last year, Camilla said.
Ahead of the event, the duchess met domestic abuse survivors and campaigners, as well as Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who was attending to support the event.
After her speech, Camilla listened to a panel discussion, in the name of the #everyonesproblem hashtag.
The conversation, chaired by WOW Foundation founder Jude Kelly, featured businesswoman, campaigner and domestic abuse survivor Gina Miller; chief executive of SafeLives charity Suzanne Jacob; Celia Peachey, whose mother was murdered by an ex-partner with a history of violence and domestic abuse; and Naomi Donald, who suffered abuse as a teenager and young woman.
Raising awareness of and tackling domestic abuse is an issue Camilla has spoken about in recent years.
At an engagement last month she said her first encounter with survivors at SafeLives in 2016 had sparked her interest in the problem, and had left her ‘both shocked and horrified by just how many thousands of people across the world live with it’.