Queen Consort Camilla reveals she is 'still haunted' by stories of domestic abuse victims as she appears on the cover of Good Housekeeping
- The Queen Consort, 75, discussed working with the SafeLives charity since 2016
- She recalled harrowing stories including a woman who was shot by her partner
- Camilla mentioned Diana Parkes, whose daughter Joanna was killed in 2010
The Queen Consort has revealed the stories of domestic abuse she has heard while working with charities supporting victims 'still haunt' her.
Camilla, 75, who has been a patron of domestic violence charity SafeLives since 2016, revealed there are some stories in particular that have stayed with her since she began meeting victims.
As she graced the cover of Good Housekeeping's Christmas issue (also featuring interviews with the Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and Sophie Wessex) wearing a red Fiona Clare dress, the Queen Consort said she'd had the 'privilege' of meeting women, and some men, over the years who have opened up to her about their stories as victims of abuse within the home who still live in 'permanent fear'.
![Queen Consort Camilla discussed her work with domestic abuse charity SafeLives in the Christmas issue of Good Housekeeping](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/07/09/65331123-11511419-image-a-1_1670405464910.jpg)
Queen Consort Camilla discussed her work with domestic abuse charity SafeLives in the Christmas issue of Good Housekeeping
She added that, from the countless stories she has heard, survivors have one thing in common: that they want to break the 'wall of silence' around these issues, which she described as 'chilling and paralysing'.
Despite being the Queen Consort, Camilla said she has been able to go 'under the radar' with survivors who have managed to get out of their abusive conditions and start again.
While she admitted some of their stories have stayed with her and continued to haunt her, Camilla said the strength and resolve of the victims was 'inspiring'.
![Last week the Queen Consort met with domestic abuse campaigners including former Spice Girl Mel B during a reception to end violence against women at Buckingham Palace](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/12/07/09/65331121-11511419-Last_week_the_Queen_Consort_met_with_domestic_abuse_campaigners_-m-13_1670406261035.jpg)
Last week the Queen Consort met with domestic abuse campaigners including former Spice Girl Mel B during a reception to end violence against women at Buckingham Palace
During the interview, she recalled first being invited to visit SafeLives in 2016, which Baroness Diana Barran had started from her kitchen table 11 years earlier.
As she recalled listening to the stories of survivors on her first visit, Camilla said they were 'some of the bravest women' she had ever met.
The Queen Consort recalled one particularly chilling story of a woman who had brought a wristwatch with her to the meeting which had stopped at 2.26pm. This was the exact time her husband had shot her.
As she listened to some horrific stories, Camilla recalled feeling left with a 'deep resolve' that she must help people recovering from similar abuses.
Last week, the Queen Consort held a reception at Buckingham Palace attended by campaigners including former Spice Girl Mel B, to discuss the work being done to end violence against women in the UK and around the world.
The event was overshadowed by a race row when lady of the household, Lady Susan Hussey, was accused of repeatedly asking black British domestic abuse campaigner and founder of Sistah Space Ngozi Fulani where she was from. Lady Hussey later apologised and resigned.
Throughout her time working with SafeLives, Camilla recalled one particular story which has stayed with her when she met Diana Parkes.
Diana's daughter, Joanna, was beaten to death with a claw hammer by her estranged husband Robert Brown in October 2010. Diana's children Katie and Alex, then 10 and eight years old, were in the next room during the attack.
Speaking to the Daily Mail in March, Diana, now 82, revealed how she dedicated her life to looking after her grandchildren and making them feel safe.
She said: ‘I was always there for them, even at night.
‘When, in the first few years, they woke up feeling sad, they knew they could come to my bed and get a cuddle. My husband moved into another room because he knew I had to be there for them.’
The devoted grandmother also revealed that Brown, a former BA pilot, is due to be released next year after serving time for manslaughter. He was initially sentenced to 26 years in prison.
After Diana and the Queen Consort met in 2016, Camilla said she felt a close affinity with the grandmother.
She told Diana at the time: 'That could have been me, that could have been my friends.'
The pair appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour this year, during which Diana said of the Queen Consort: 'I think she is an extraordinarily compassionate, caring woman.'
Speaking in her interview today, Camilla said: 'Diana’s story has always resonated very deeply with me, partly, I think, because she and I are the same generation and are both grandmothers.'
The Christmas issue of Good Housekeeping also featured interviews with the Princess of Wales, Sophie Wessex and Princess Anne.
Speaking about her chosen charity Family Action, mother-of-three Kate, 40, said the charity, which helps families navigate periods of hardship, was especially needed this year as the cost of living crisis bites.
She also encouraged people to look out for other families in their communities this Christmas, to offer a helping hand if they possibly can.
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