A key theme of Queen Camilla’s royal work has been domestic violence — and for the first time a camera crew have been given unprecedented access to Her Majesty’s work in this area.
Having followed The Queen around for the last year to document her work, both public parts and privately, the 90-minute ITV documentary will feature conversations between Camila and the victims of domestic abuse, as well as those who have lost loved ones and those working to end violence against women.
The Duchess of Cornwall visited domestic violence charity, Voices – February 2023 (Clarence House)
“Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors” will air in the UK later this year.
Among those interviewed as part of the documentary include Diana Parkes CBE, the mother of Joanna Simpson who was brutally killed by her estranged husband in 2010. Diana and Camilla originally met in 2016 at SafeLives, when she first became interested in the issue of domestic abuse.
The then-Duchess of Cornwall imagined herself in Diana’s place: ‘That could have been me, that could have been my friends’. She appeared tearful telling Diana: ‘I think it’s awful what has happened to you. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to do something.’
There have been a number of key moments over the last 10 years in Camilla’s work to raise awareness around domestic abuse including when in 2020, the she announced that she had became the Patron of SafeLives during the online edition of the Women of the World Festival, where she was discussing her longstanding work on domestic abuse. During the virtual discussion, Camilla said: ‘It’s not a nice subject to talk about and I think that’s been one of its problems. It’s been a taboo subject for so long that people just haven’t talked about it.’
Her first solo public engagement as Queen in 2022 saw her visit the maternity unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which acts as a key hub for women experiencing domestic abuse. She met independent domestic violence advisors and frontline staff, who respond to domestic violence cases.
Sue Murphy, ITV’s Director of Factual Entertainment, said: ‘ITV is proud to be making this documentary with Her Majesty the Queen about this hugely important subject. We hope the film will raise awareness and inspire change in our society.’
Kate Teckman, ITV’s Head of Development and Commissioning Editor, said: ‘With exclusive access to Her Majesty as she meets the incredible survivors of domestic abuse, this film tells the stories of those who have suffered and their families, including Diana Parkes, as they bravely and selflessly share their experiences to raise awareness and help others.’
Kerene Barefield, from the production company Love Monday, said: ‘It has been a privilege to have been entrusted to produce this film and observe first hand Her Majesty the Queen’s work in the field of domestic abuse. 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 front line 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.’
