Queen Camilla unveils new Aphra Behn statue

A local poet said statues of public figures can help people relate to them

Queen Camilla has visited Kent to unveil a statue of Aphra Behn, the first woman to earn a wage as a professional writer.

The Queen revealed the statue on Tuesday outside The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury – Behn's home town.

She then toured the museum and watched the Royal Shakespeare Company perform an extract from Behn's play, The Rover.

Children at a workshop and visually-impaired people also met the Queen before she viewed the first edition of Behn's novel, Oroonoko.

The statue of Behn (pictured) was designed by Christine Charlesworth

Christine Charlesworth, who designed the statue of Behn, said: "My Aphra is walking but glancing behind her because she is carrying interesting things such as a theatre masks and she has a secret message up her sleeve.

"She has ink and a quill and a look of mischief on her face.

"I didn't want her on a pedestal. I wanted people to look in her eyes and want to know her and want to stand and have a conversation with her."

Queen Camilla toured The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury

Poet and writer Charlotte Cornell is from A is for Aphra, the local group behind the project to get a statue in the city.

She said: "A statue can be a spring board for you to take yourself or someone else in a different direction if that statue is creative enough and well placed enough and well considered and of a good person who is long overdue celebrating."

During the visit the Queen revealed she had adopted a new rescue puppy.

While speaking to Susan Mason from Herne Bay, who was at the event with her golden retriever guide dog, Queen Camilla said she had adopted mongrel Moley following the recent death of her Jack Russell, Beth.