Queen Camilla Speaks from the Heart for Key Cause Following King Charles' Return to Work amid Cancer Diagnosis

The Queen hosted the solo event the day after stepping out with the King for a significant visit

Queen Camilla rallied for a poignant cause after King Charles resumed public-facing duties for the first time while receiving cancer treatment.

On May 1, the Queen, 76, hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to recognize supporters of survivors of sexual assault and mark the relaunch of the Wash Bags project, reviving a venture she initiated in 2013. As the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla launched the project after learning the stories of survivors of rape and sexual abuse through visits to Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs). The program provides toiletries to those affected by rape and abuse, with the kits offered at SARCs after examinations as a gesture of comfort.

The Wash Bags project has been revamped with the charity In Kind Direct (which King Charles founded in 1996) as the distributor, with U.K. health and beauty chain Boots donating the products.

Related: The Personal Detail King Charles Shared with Fellow Cancer Patients as He Resumed Royal Duties

Queen Camilla welcomed around 300 guests to the palace for the reception, including staff from SARCs, service users and representatives from charities, the police, health services and the some of the specialized centers she has visited. The Queen took the mic in the Picture Gallery of the palace, where she made a speech expressing her thanks for everyone’s work in supporting survivors of sexual violence.

"Each one of you has a powerful story to tell: whether you work in this country or overseas; whether you are based in a refuge, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, a charity, Parliament, or, most important of all, you are a survivor," Queen Camilla said in part.

"Your stories and your experiences are vital tools as we seek to bring about change: to forge a world in which people, whoever and wherever they are, do not live in fear of being abused,” she continued. "As I have often heard victims say: speaking about the experience is one of the key ways to survive it. By sharing with one another today, we can strengthen our alliance against sexual abuse in all its forms."

The royal cited a harrowing statistic, sharing that nearly an estimated 800,000 women and 275,000 suffer attempted or actual sexual assault every year in England and Wales alone.

"The aim of the washbags was to create something that would be ‘a crumb of comfort' to those finding themselves in this horrendous position," she explained.

Related: Queen Camilla Smiles on Outing After King Charles Announces Return to Royal Work amid His Cancer Diagnosis

The Queen has long made supporting victims of rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse a key priority of her public work, aiming to break taboos and end the cycle of violence.

During the May 1 reception, she shared a chat with former British Prime Minister Theresa May, who has long campaigned for an end to modern slavery and serves on the board of Princess Eugenie’s charity The Anti-Slavery Collective.

Queen Camilla hosted the reception solo the day after she joined King Charles, 75, as he resumed forward-facing royal duties for the first time since Buckingham Palace announced his cancer diagnosis.

On April 30, the royal couple visited the Macmillan Cancer Centre at the University College Hospital London five days after the palace confirmed the King’s return to work. There, they met patients and staff to emphasize the importance of early cancer detection and learn more about the innovative research happening at the hospital supported by Cancer Research U.K.

The emotional engagement doubled as the King's first day as the new patron of Cancer Research U.K., taking over a post previously held by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth.

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While connecting with patients at the care center, King Charles told them that he was going for his own treatment later in the day, Chris Ship of ITV wrote on X.

"Many patients said afterward they felt a personal connection with him as he understands what they had been through and are still going through," the royals reporter said.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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