Queen Camilla honors Indian-origin WWII spy Noor Inayat Khan with RAF club portrait unveiling
Queen Camilla of Britain paid tribute to Noor Inayat Khan, an Indian-origin spy and descendant of Tipu Sultan, by unveiling her portrait at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Club. The 76-year-old senior royal also officially named a room at the RAF Club in her honor.
Noor Inayat Khan, a member of the RAF's Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), joined Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, becoming one of the two WAAF members to receive the George Cross for her exceptional heroism and courage in extreme circumstances.
The portrait unveiling ceremony was attended by British Indian author Shrabani Basu, who presented Queen Camilla with a copy of her biography on Noor. Noor Inayat Khan's story is set to inspire generations to come, as her portrait now hangs in the «Noor Inayat Khan Room» at the RAF Club, opposite a stained-glass window dedicated to women in the RAF, inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.
Noor's remarkable journey began when she was born as Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian sufi saint father and an American mother.
After living in London and completing her school years in Paris, she escaped to England following the fall of France in World War II and joined the WAAF. In late 1942, she was recruited into the SOE, tasked with espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied territories.
The portrait of Noor Inayat Khan, unveiled at the RAF Club, was created by renowned British artist Paul Brason, who based his work on the limited available images of the brave agent.
