Soooo I was actually at this reception. I'm in the big group photo - I'm the woman standing right behind the woman in the red turtleneck just behind Camilla.
It was an AMAZING reception. I missed my photo opp with Camilla because I was talking to Lady Sarah Chatto (!). She was super sweet - we talked about my role in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and specifically my new role at a major American tech company. Up close she just looks strikingly like Princess Margaret.
Hilariously after she moved on after our conversation, one of the women with me told me, "That's Princess Margaret's daughter, and HMQ's niece... watch The Crown and you'll see!" I laughed because I 1) knew very well who she was thanks to everyone here and 2) I've binged The Crown more times than is natural,
I met Louise Martin who is organizing the Commonwealth Games and Jo Swinson of Parliament. I asked Louise if she's sleeping much and she laughed and said no. I said you can sleep after the games in April and she looked so impressed that I knew about them at all!
I also met Annie Lennox, who I didn't recognize at first - I was so startled when she introduced herself that I reacted like "Oh, you are, aren't you!" and she laughed. Everyone laughed actually.
To be surrounded by so many amazing women - especially Jude Kelly who created WOW - what an awesome experience.
For those of you wondering how I got connected to this, being from America - I was part of a delegation that is bringing WOW to the US at scale. So we're doing a million events while we're here (just spoke at JP Morgan) and this reception at Clarence House was one of those events. I'm speaking on a Panel tomorrow at WOW as well.
Also - Prince Charles drove up just as we were walking to Clarence House - he was in full regalia - what a lovely surprise to see him - so dashing and charming.
Camilla was so down to earth and natural - I came away from this with an immense amount of respect for her... I'm bummed I missed my photo opp with her, but I was talking to Lady Sarah and felt it would be rude to walk away until she was finished with our conversation.
The one thing I want to get across was just how approachable and congenial EVERYONE was. Women took me under their wing and dragged me around to meet all of these lovely women. Jo Swinson of Parliament was literally the reason I met Lady Sarah - she personally walked me over to her to make the introductions.
I'm still reeling from how amazing it all was.
All of those amazing women.
I would never willingly choose it for myself, so to born into it and be required to do it, I don't know.....must be hard to get reconciled to imo.
