Captain Marvel: Female police officers attend London premiere to celebrate 100 years of women in Met Police
Female police officers have attended the London premiere of Marvel blockbuster Captain Marvel to celebrate 100 years of women in the Metropolitan Police.
The European premiere for the film, which is the first female-led superhero adventure to have been released by Marvel Studios, took place at the Curzon cinema in Mayfair on Wednesday 27 February.
The film's stars, including lead actor Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, were photographed on the blue carpet with female members of the British armed forces, police officers, scientists and athletes in celebration of the momentous occasion.
"As the first female hero in the Marvel Universe, [Captain Marvel] is a strong leader and relentless protector - like many of our own past and present female officers. We are #100YearsStrong," the Met Police tweeted.
The event was particularly poignant for the female members of the Met Police in attendance, as it marked exactly 100 years since a woman joined the London police force for the first time.
In 1919, Sofia Stanley became the first female police officer enrolled in the Met Police.
Stanley also designed the first women's police uniform, which became known as the Stanley uniform.
To celebrate 100 years of women in policing, we are at the premiere of #CaptainMarvel. As the first female hero in the Marvel Universe, she is a strong leader and relentless protector - like many of our own past and present female officers. We are #100YearsStrong @MarvelUK pic.twitter.com/AcIAsT6O1Q
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk)
Great to c @SamuelLJackson celebrating #100years of @metpoliceuk women with us at #CaptainMarvel These officers are our very own superheroes pic.twitter.com/R1LvFIoUQA
— Lucy D'Orsi (@LucyDorsiMPS)
The female police officers in attendance at the premiere were in high spirits as they rubbed shoulders with Hollywood A-Listers, including Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan.
"I'm honoured to represent female officers at this monumental event," said police officer Lucy D'Orsi, in a tweet shared by the Met Police.
"We owe it to the pioneering women of our past for securing female heroes within the Met."
Guests in attendance at the premiere watched a short video created in commemoration of women being a part of the Met Police for a century.
In the video, footage of female police officers in shown in the background while a narrator discusses the significance of the police force being "100 years strong".
In 1915, four years before Stanley joined the Met Police, Edith Smith became the first woman to be appointed a police constable in England.
Smith, whose work involved focussing on woman-related cases, was given full power of arrest in accordance with her role.
The Women's Police Service, a voluntary female-led police force, was founded in 1914 by Nina Boyle and Margaret Damer Dawson.
By 1920, the Women's Police Service had evolved to become the Women's Auxiliary Service.
Early reactions to Captain Marvel have been extremely positive, with one journalist tweeting that the film has made the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe "even brighter".
