Queen Camilla praised for ‘shifting’ and ‘highly effective’ ITV documentary on home abuse

Audiences have praised Queen Camilla’s ‘powerful’ ITV documentary – which highlights the progress being made to eliminate domestic and sexual violence in the UK.

The royal, 77, features in the new programme – Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors – that explores the tireless campaign work being done to tackle abusive relationships.

Many touched viewers have taken to social media to compliment the ‘very moving’ film, which they hope will help reach victims.

‘Good documentary on ITV tonight,’ one wrote. ‘Rightly raising the profile of violence against women.

‘God knows it seems to be getting worse than better? I don’t like the way society is headed. Keep speaking up, keep looking out for one another.’

‘#QueenCamilla every time we talk about this it helps people to identify when it’s happening to them,’ a second said. ‘And for us to see when it’s happening to others. Thank you for your action and commitment.’

‘The Queen Camilla documentary on ITV is very moving already,’ a third penned. ‘I suspect the scale of domestic violence and abuse would shock most of us, and Her Majesty’s compassion is clear to see.

‘We must do more to support victims, from first contact with police to help re-starting lives.’ 

In the programme, Camilla praised a domestic abuse campaigner whose daughter was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by her estranged and abusive husband as ‘wonderful’ and ‘dignified’ and admitted she ‘tried to put myself in your shoes’.

In a clip from the programme, Camilla, who was forced to pull out of her public engagements recently after becoming unwell with a chest infection, met with Diana Parkes, who now runs a foundation to support children affected by domestic violence.

Diana’s daughter, Joanna Simpson, was brutally killed by her estranged husband Robert Brown, while their children were hiding in the playroom, in 2010.

Recalling the first time she met Diana and heard her story in 2016, the Queen says: ‘I tried to put myself in your shoes, thought to myself, “what if it had been my daughter?” I don’t think I would’ve been able to sit and be as dignified and as wonderful as you were that day.’ 

 Camilla, whose children are Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, adds: ‘I’m never going to forget that meeting. It’s engraved on my heart… I remember seeing you sitting there, and I thought, well goodness, there’s somebody of my generation.’

Diana co-founded the Joanna Simpson Foundation after the 46-year-old was killed by former British Airways captain Robert Brown just a week before their divorce was due to be finalised in 2010. 

The former pilot killed the millionaire at her home in Ascot, Berkshire, within earshot of their two children, then nine and ten.

Brown buried Joanna’s body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park before confessing to police the following day. He was cleared of murder and convicted of manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility.

It meant the killer was due for release in 2023 after serving just half of his 26-year jail sentence.

But following a campaign backed by the Mail, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk stepped in to block the automatic release and referred the case to the Parole Board.

Elsewhere in the documentary, the Queen explains how ‘by scratching the surface, you get a terrible shock. It’s such a heinous crime‘. 

She continues: ‘If we could just get more people discussing it, talking about it, people are so shocked by what they hear, that, rather like me, that they want to say “hang on a minute, perhaps there’s something we can help with” to hopefully, in the end, put an end to it.’

The 90-minute programme included details of the Queen’s work to tackle the issue.  

In a trailer for the documentary, Camilla is heard giving an answer to an interviewer who asked: ‘How do we eradicate domestic abuse’.

Responding candidly, the Queen said: ‘Don’t let’s kid ourselves, it’s going to take a long long time because it’s been going forever.

‘You know, it’s been going, well, since time began,’ she said.

Dressed in a glamorous royal blue frock, the wife of King Charles added that there has been immense progress made to combat the issue.

‘If you look at the steps we’ve taken, since the bad old days, we have made a huge amount of progress. And I shall keep on trying until I am able to no more,’ she said.

One in five adults are victims of domestic abuse in the UK, including a quarter of women. 

An estimated 2.1 million people over the age of 16 are thought to be currently experiencing domestic abuse in England and Wales, with one woman killed by a partner or former partner every five days.

Camilla has done pioneering work in the sector, meeting survivors, undertaking visits to Sexual Assault Referral Centres across the country, and even launching the wash bag scheme.

While monarchs, or the spouses of monarchs, have traditionally shied away from appearing on camera, the royal has instead chosen for the first time to front the powerful new programme.

In the new film, viewers are expected to see various examples of the Queen’s work to tackle the issue, including scenes of her hosting a round-table with teenagers, and celebrating International Women’s Day at Buckingham Palace.

Camilla has also said she is determined to break the ‘taboo’ over the issue. ‘It’s so important to do something now,’ she said in another trailer released by ITV. 

It is understood Camilla started off by agreeing only to a cameo appearance – preferring to focus on the victims and survivors – but became more confident at helping tell the women’s’ stories as time went on.

Camilla said: ‘One of the most difficult things about domestic abuse, to understand, it’s not the bruises and the black eyes, which, unfortunately you see, through violence, this is something that creeps up very slowly and, far too often, it ends up with women being killed.

‘You meet somebody, you think they’re wonderful and attractive and love you…and then bit by bit, they start to undermine you. They take away your friends, they take away your family…and then when you start questioning it…these people become very violent.’

The film has been directed by Angela Byrne and Kerene Barefield. When it was first announced that the royal would be taking part, Kerene said it was a ‘privilege’ to work alongside Camilla.

‘It has been a privilege to have been entrusted to produce this film and observe firsthand Her Majesty The Queen’s work in the field of domestic abuse,’ she said.

‘Our aim was to not only highlight the devastation caused by domestic abuse in the UK, but also give a voice and re-empower the victims.

‘The Queen is not alone in trying to ‘obliterate’ this curse, and we have been honoured to work with charities and services who work on the frontline to support survivors, rehabilitate victims and campaign for change.

‘We are humbled that our brave survivors have told their stories on camera. It is our belief that by sharing them in this film, we can help people understand what abuse looks like in 2024.

‘If we understand what it looks like, together we will be able to tackle domestic abuse and make a difference.’

As part of her extensive ongoing work in the sector, in 2013, Camilla started the Wash Bags project to provide survivors of sexual assault with toiletries, including soap and shampoo, to use following forensic examination.

The project aimed to offer comfort and familiarity to victims at what can be a very sensitive and dehumanising time. 

It comes after Camilla was forced to pull out of taking part in the Remembrance Sunday memorial service in London this weekend.

A chest infection meant she had to miss an Olympic and Paralympic reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this week, as well as the opening of the Field of Remembrance at nearby Westminster Abbey.

It was confirmed on Saturday that she would not be well enough to make Sunday’s ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London.

Her husband King Charles led the nation in remembering Britain’s war dead, placing a wreath at the Cenotaph as crowds including military veterans looked on.

His daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales watched from a balcony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, alongside Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors aired 11th November at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.