Highlighting brilliant women on International Women’s Day 2026

This International Women’s Day, we are highlighting some of the brilliant women that Her Majesty has engaged with over the last year.

Let your lives be the stones that will shatter glass ceilings everywhere and inspire generations to come.

 – The Queen, March 2024

Madame Gisèle Pelicot

Madame Pelicot bravely waived her right to anonymity as the survivor in France’s largest rape trial. 

Her extraordinary courage to speak up on behalf of all victims has won her global admiration and, in 2025, she was awarded the Legion of Honour.

Aamilah Aswat

Aamilah recently made history as the first black female jump jockey to ride a winner in Britain. 

Aamilah was part of Ebony Horse Club’s Riding A Dream Academy, of which Her Majesty is Patron, launched to help young people from diverse communities enter racing.

International Union of Superiors General (IUSG)

The Catholic sisters of IUSG work globally at grassroots level to support female empowerment through girls' education programmes, improved access to healthcare, climate action and the prevention of sexual violence.

John and Amy Hunt 

John Hunt and his surviving daughter, Amy  continue to raise awareness of violence against women, following the death of John’s wife, Carol, and daughters.

Dame Laura Lee

Dame Laura Lee is the CEO of Maggie’s, of which Her Majesty is President, which works alongside the NHS to support those living with cancer. This year, the charity is marking its 30th anniversary.

Asma Khan

Asma Khan, British-India chef and Founder of Darjeeling Express, donates 100% of her restaurant's profits during the holy month of Ramadan to charity. 

Asma is involved in a great number of philanthropic, community hunger-relief projects, including the UN World Food Programme.

Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell's acclaimed novel about Shakespeare's family, ‘Hamnet’, has recently been produced into a multi-award-winning film. 

Earlier this year, The Queen’s Reading Room hosted a special screening of the film, which tells the story of Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, as they deal with the grief of losing their young son, Hamnet.

Superintendent Sharon Baker

Superintendent Sharon Baker is a domestic abuse survivor, who set up a network to support fellow police colleagues also experiencing abuse. 

Supt Baker featured in the ITV documentary, ‘Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors’, which followed The Queen’s work on domestic abuse.