Queen Camilla shines a light on the voices of domestic violence victims in powerful new documentary

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Queen Camilla gives a powerful voice to victims of domestic violence during a glimpse into her work as a senior royal in her first feature-length documentary since her accession to the throne.

The 90-minute film follows Camilla as she attends official meetings and never-before-seen private meetings with survivors and domestic violence campaigners over the past year.

He is seen visiting a shelter and speaking candidly with survivors about his deeply personal experiences, while also explaining what has driven him to spend the last decade raising awareness.

Camilla supported earlier this year IndependentBrick by Brick campaign to build two new shelters for women fleeing abuse. Thanks to generous donations from readers, the initial target of £300,000 was recently reached; More than £500,000 in donations has poured in so far and plans are already afoot to build a second home.

Be a brick, buy a brick and donate here or text BRICK to 70560 to donate £15

Talking about the importance of shelters in the documentary, Camilla says: “You run away and you arrive at this shelter. A room of their own, a door they can lock. As time goes by, they begin to regain their self-confidence and start life over again.

“These shelters are literally lifesavers. Where would they go if they didn’t have these shelters?

The program highlights themes such as coercive control and marital rape, while the documentary highlights the heartbreaking testimonies of brave survivors.

“I think by getting some of the incredibly brave survivors to actually stand up and talk about this issue, it gets people to sit up and listen,” the Queen says in an unprecedented interview. “And the more they talk about it, it will encourage more and more people to come forward.”

One survivor, Emma, ​​recalled that her abusive partner poured petrol on her clothes and threatened to set her on fire because he thought she was “too revealing”.

Another survivor, Rachel, told how her ex-husband picked her up by the throat when she was seven months pregnant, but let go when her lips turned blue.

She then tells the show how her estranged husband broke into her workplace and shot her. “He pointed his gun at my chest, said he loved me and pulled the trigger,” he said.

On average, a woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex-partner every five days in England and Wales, and the documentary reveals the escalation of domestic abuse that can lead to this, from love bombing to murder.

“Coercive control is almost the scariest part of domestic abuse,” says Camilla. “You meet someone, you think they’re great and attractive and love you, and then they slowly start to undermine you.

“They’re taking away your friends, they’re taking away your family. They take control of your money. They start dressing you. “But I think people still believe they’re doing it because they love themselves.”

In a particularly poignant part of the documentary, Camilla secretly visits a shelter for women fleeing domestic violence.

After being shown around a secret part of the house, he meets a mother and baby in the facility’s playroom and later hears a resident’s story of abuse.

“The abuse started slowly. The strange slap turned into a fist. “And then the beatings,” the unidentified woman, who later fled to a shelter in a “life-saving” move, told Camilla.

The Queen also explains what led to her work to help survivors, as she recalls her first meeting with Diana Parkes, the mother of Joanna Simpson, who was brutally murdered by her estranged husband in 2010.

Describing meeting Ms Parkes in 2016, Camilla says: “She is an 80-year-old grandmother. And his beloved daughter was killed at the hands of such an evil perpetrator. I think she’s so strong because not many people survive the death of a daughter. I admire him more than I can say.

At the end of the programme, the Queen reflects on the long journey ahead in the fight to eradicate domestic abuse, promising: “I will keep trying until I can do no more.”

Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors It will be shown on Monday 11 November at 21.00 on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

Please donate now Brick by Brick campaign launched by Independent and the charity Refuge to help raise a further £300,000 to build a second safe space for women where they can escape domestic violence, rebuild their lives and create a new future. To donate £15 text BRICK to 70560.