Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai meets with Queen Elizabeth

Pakistani girls' education campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who has found international fame since being shot by Taliban militants last year, met with another icon Friday: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, invited the young activist to a reception at Buckingham Palace, where they met and chatted for a short time.

Malala, who was accompanied by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, presented the Queen with a copy of her newly published memoir, titled: "I am Malala."

"It's nice to meet you and it's a great honor coming here, and I wanted to present you my book," Malala said.

Queen Elizabeth responded, "That's very kind of you. Thank you very much indeed."

Malala said she hoped the two could work together to  ensure all children receive an education, not just in Pakistan, but in the United Kingdom, too.

 

"I hope that we will all work together for the education of every child, and especially in this country as well, because I have heard about many children that cannot go to school," she said. "So I hope that we will continue our work on youth empowerment."

In his inimitable fashion, the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, made a joke about children and education when meeting Malala at the palace.

"It's one thing about children going to school," he said, "they go to school because their parents don't want them in the house."

Malala has been based in Britain since she was rushed there for major surgery after the Taliban shot her in the head in her native Pakistan because of her efforts to promote girls' education.