The UK Queen Consort, Camilla, has described it as “terrible” that violence against women “has not been eradicated” even after 50 years.
While attending a charity event at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in Westminster, London, Camilla, the wife of King Charles, met with survivors of domestic abuse at a reception marking the 50th anniversary of Women’s Aid.
During the event, the Queen Consort spoke with several guests and survivors of violence, including presenter and acid attack survivor Katie Piper, DJ Ashley James, and Loose Women star Kéllé Bryan. After cutting a cake presented to her by Women’s Aid’s director of services, Nikki Bradley, she addressed attendees, saying:
“I cannot believe it was 50 years ago when you started. You would think what is happening now compared to what was happening 50 years ago. You should all be so incredibly proud of yourselves. I think so many people hadn’t realised what domestic abuse was, especially then.
“It is terrible that after 50 years, it still has not been eradicated, but we are making progress. I’ve talked to many, many women and men all around the world, and you hear the same devastating stories time and time again.”
The 77-year-old Queen Consort also mentioned her ITV documentary, Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors, which follows her work to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence.
“As Katie was saying, it is behind closed doors, but now that I’ve started, I have no intention of stopping,” Camilla said.
“We all need to pool together. Hearing the voices is so important because every time another survivor speaks out, it spurs them, perhaps, to get up.
“We’re putting an end to it—probably not in my lifetime, maybe during some of yours, but we will see an end to it,” she added, while holding flowers gifted to her by Women’s Aid.
