The Duchess of Cornwall is to become royal president of the Southbank Centre’s Women of the World festival, the Standard can reveal today.
Camilla will help spearhead the event, which celebrates the achievements of women and girls and explores the most important issues they face today.
The festival, supported by Bloomberg, runs from March 1 to 8 and will showcase female talent across the arts, politics, economics, fashion, science, health, sport, business and education.
Tonight Camilla will host an event at the Southbank Centre with artistic director Jude Kelly, who set up WOW.
Among guests this evening are artist and psychotherapist couple Grayson and Philippa Perry, conductor Marin Alsop, 400-metre world champion Christine Ohuruogu, entrepreneur Baroness Martha Lane Fox and fashion designer Amanda Wakeley. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the festival, which will feature 300 speakers and performers at 200 events, including concerts, comedy shows, workshops, talks and debates.
Camilla, 67, has been involved with WOW since its inception in 2011, and has previously hosted two receptions at Clarence House to mark the start of the annual festival.
In 2012 she launched WOW Australia at Government House in Sydney, as part of her tour of Australia and New Zealand with Prince Charles.
Ms Kelly said of the Duchess’s appointment: “She is a tremendous force for good.
“She has been interested and shown she’s committed to gender equality ever since she became involved and her support gives our global platform even more momentum.”
The festival, held every March, is recognised as the UK’s biggest and most significant festival dedicated to presenting work by women and promoting equality for women and girls.
This year it will again coincide with International Women’s Day on Sunday March 8.
Since it launched, WOW has gone global and there are festivals taking place around the UK and across the world this year.
By 2018 Southbank Centre aims to present WOW in all Commonwealth countries, and to have 12 WOW festivals across the UK alongside the London festival.
