Yesterday I attended a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the Queen, Princess Anne, Camilla and Sophie.

It was a gathering of 200 Women in Business - a great event. I met everyone - and the Queen was smart, intelligent and working hard! Making us all feel very welcome. We spent some time in several state rooms, chatting, having a drink and canapes. It was very inspiring to be surrounded by so many successful women - if only I had had the chance to hear all their stories.

I noticed a little crowd in the centre of one of the rooms and wandered over to find Sharon Osborne in full flow. She is a great character, warm, funny and a inspiration. We chatted for a while - but mostly people wanted the gossip about X-factor!

I think meetings like this are still very relevant in todays society - there is a great feeling of strength that comes from a meeting of women - and a feeling that we should help and support eachother. I could not help but wonder how the five male courtiers who were present felt. A reversal of the position most women in business find themselves in - on a daily basis.

Any way - well done to the Royal Household for having the idea for the event - thank you.

I am back there next week for the final meeting of the Full Stop National Appeal Board of the NSPCC - and then moving on to St James Palace. The Queen will once again be there - to thank the team for their stunning efforts in raisning £250m towards ending cruelty to children. As I said - she works hard!