Queen’s Gate School marked International Women’s Day with a special IWD themed coffee morning. Guest speaker, portrait artist Caroline de Peyrecave spoke about the inspiration behind her exhibition Empowering Her and displayed some of the portraits from the exhibition.
The Empowering Her exhibition confronts the deep-rooted inequality of women’s representation in portraiture and within public memory. Through powerful portraits, the project celebrates remarkable women who are creating a lasting legacy for those challenging norms, advocating for change, and shaping Britain today.
Pupils were invited to visit the exhibition to view the paintings and to enjoy a special workshop where they learnt about the inspiring women depicted and discussed ways to build their own confidence and self-belief.
Women featured in the exhibition include:
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, campaigner and former political prisoner (Portrait pictured above)
General Dame Sharon Nesmith, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, British Army
Emma Barnett, broadcaster and journalist
Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, LGBTQ+ activist and co-founder of UK Black Pride
Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, space scientist and science communicator
Daryl Fielding, advertising leader behind Dove’s Real Beauty campaign
Zoe Stratford, England Rugby World Cup-winning captain and advocate for women in sport
Sally Phillips, Comedian and actor
Pupils visited the exhibition to view the paintings and to enjoy a special workshop where they learnt about the inspiring women depicted and discussed ways to build their own confidence and self-belief.
Occasional places – 2026 Entry