Queen Camilla has teamed up with an all-female production crew in a powerful new documentary, airing next week, in which she vows to eradicate domestic abuse.
"Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors" follows Camilla as she meets survivors of abusive relationships, including a member of the UK parliament, a senior police officer and a former Miss England.
The film provides an insight into the Queen's efforts at raising awareness of domestic and sexual violence -- a subject she has devoted herself to for a number of years now. In 2020, she became patron of domestic abuse charity "Save Lives," and back in 2017, she spoke to CNN about the subject in her very first TV news interview.
According to UK government data, on average, a woman is killed by a current or ex-partner every five days in England and Wales but the 77-year-old royal's new film stresses that violence may not be part of the abuse until it is too late to save the victim.
The film's campaigners highlight the role that coercive control plays in domestic abuse, with perpetrators not necessarily targeting the obviously vulnerable. One survivor who can attest to this is Chief Inspector Sharon Baker of Avon and Somerset Police, who features in the documentary.
In a conversation with CNN, Baker revealed she initially didn't tell anyone about what she went through. She assumed "nobody was ready to hear that a cop like me could be a victim." It was not until she heard the victim-blaming language of a fellow survivor -- a member of her own staff -- that she reflected on own reluctance to speak out.
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Queen Camilla poses with (L-R) Rehema Muthamia, Emma Armstrong, Alice Liveing and Sharon Baker on October 30, 2024.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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"There are so many myths about domestic abuse. That it's going to be someone weak," Baker told CNN. "Well, I was totally opposite. I was strong and powerful, going to disorders with my riot helmet on."
When the chief inspector decided to share that she had also been in an abusive relationship, her colleague told her, "If this can happen to you, it's OK that it's happened to me." Motivated by this, Baker shared a six-minute video within her police force and was astounded when more than 130 other survivors came forward. They began meeting monthly and still do.
Baker believes the issue is "much more prevalent than we think" and hopes Camilla's documentary will raise awareness.
"Coercive control is the biggest indicator of future homicide. I didn't suffer any violence until I tried to leave. The time you see violence could be too late."
In 2015, coercive control became a criminal offense in England and Wales. Baker describes how her ex sowed seeds of doubt in her personal relationships, slowly isolating her from her support network. "There are red flags everywhere, but your perpetrator gives you rose-tinted glasses," Baker continued. "You can't see the red flags."
She hopes part of the conversation to emerge as a result of the documentary will be around coercive control, as well as helping people to speak up when aspects of their relationships concern them.
For Camilla, she accepts that there has been progress but insists that there is still a lot of work to be done to eradicate domestic abuse.
It's a promise she makes in the documentary, saying: "And I shall keep on trying until I am able to no more."
"Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors" airs on November 11 at 9 p.m. on UK broadcaster ITV1.
Getting help around the world
If you or someone you know is being affected by domestic violence, a worldwide list of directories is provided by UN Women. You can also find a list of national agencies on The Pixel Project.
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Queen Camilla withdraws from engagements. |
Camilla was forced to withdraw from royal engagements earlier this week because of illness. She had been due to appear at a remembrance event at Westminster Abbey in London on Thursday, where poppy memorials were laid to honor those in the armed forces who lost their lives. Buckingham Palace said Camilla was "unwell with a chest infection" and that doctors had "advised a short period of rest." The Duchess of Gloucester -- wife of Queen Elizabeth's cousin the Duke of Gloucester -- attended in her absence. Buckingham Palace said Camilla hopes to recover in time for this Sunday's remembrance events, and has confirmed that Catherine, Princess of Wales will join the family at the national commemoration.
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Glitzy celebration of eco game-changers |
Prince William revealed the 2024 winners of his Earthshot Prize at a star-studded awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa on Wednesday. Models Heidi Klum and Winnie Harlow and musician Tobe Nwigwe partied with the five category winners, including a team from Kazakhstan, Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, which saved the critically endangered Saiga antelope from extinction, earning the "Protect and Restore Nature" Earthshot. Each team will each receive more than $1.2 million to help scale their climate- and sustainability-focused innovations. Multi-award-winning, American actor Billy Porter and celebrated South African television presenter Bonang Matheba hosted the awards, which William hopes will "inspire the next generation to create the future we all need." Check out the full list of winners here.
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Watch: William tackled in South Africa
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Earlier in the overseas trip, William showed off his rugby skills during a coaching session with students at Ocean View Secondary School in Cape Town. At the school, William heard about the work of the Atlas Foundation, a charity that is trying to use engagement in sports to tackle child poverty in South Africa and across the world. Take a look: |
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William's four-day visit to South Africa was packed with a back-to-back schedule of eco-related engagements, culminating in the Earthshot Awards on Wednesday evening. |
Chris Jackson/Getty Images |
On Monday, William met with a group of youth environmentalists from across Africa and Southeast Asia, who were taking part in the Earthshot Prize Climate Youth Leadership Programme. At the event, the prince was caught up with Nomzamo Mbatha, a South African actress and a host of Earthshot Week. |
Chris Jackson/Getty Images |
On day two, William traveled to Signal Hill in Table Mountain National Park, a wildlife hotspot that hosts a number of rare and endangered species. There, the prince chatted with conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, about the importance of young people visiting the park.
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Victoria Jones/Pool/Getty Images |
The next day, ahead of the Earthshot Awards ceremony in the evening, William met with the 2024 finalists at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden at the foot of Table Mountain, where he spoke with all 15 finalists about their experience on the program. |
Aaron Chown/Pool/Getty Images |
The final day of the visit saw William visit Kalk Bay harbor with an entourage of Earthshot stars, including Tobe Nwigwe, Heidi Klum, Winnie Harlow and Billy Porter. During the seaside visit, the prince met with local fishermen to learn about sustainable fishing methods. Royal fans showed how excited they were that William was in town by donning masks of members of the royal family as they waited for him to arrive.
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Monica Schipper/Getty Images |
Kim Kardashian has been spotted wearing one of Princess Diana's favorite pieces of jewelry, a diamond-lined cross pendant. The reality star and entrepreneur debuted the cultural artifact at the LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles last weekend.
Kardashian bought the piece for £163,000 (around $212,000) in January 2023. Her red carpet appearance over the weekend marked the first time the necklace has been worn in public since Diana's death in 1997. The princess had previously worn the pendant at a charity event in 1987, pairing the statement piece with a violet velvet Catherine Walker gown.
Read more about the amethyst pendant here.
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J. A. Hampton/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images |
A "very rare" 77-year-old slice of the cake served at the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip sold for £2,200 ($2,800) this week, according to auction house Reeman Dansie. The cake, which no longer looks edible, survived for almost eight decades since the wedding on November 20, 1947.
It is still neatly packaged in a small box with the silver insignia of the then-Princess Elizabeth stamped on it and an elaborate doily inside. This box kept the cake safe as it was sent from Buckingham Palace to Marion Polson, the housekeeper at Holyrood House in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a gift from the royal couple.
Read our full story (and see a pic of the cake) here!
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King Charles welcomed King Abdullah of Jordan to Windsor Castle on Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Jordanian monarch's reign. During the visit, Abdullah inspected an honor guard, formed of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, and watched a military march, before joining Charles for tea at the castle. Abdullah also met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his UK visit. The British royal family has visited Jordan 24 times since 1965, including five trips by Charles when he was Prince of Wales.
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"Honestly, it's been dreadful. It's probably been the hardest year in my life."
– Prince William
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The Prince of Wales spoke candidly about the past 12 months, describing it to British media outlets as "brutal" and a "dreadful experience." William was speaking to reporters toward the end of his four-day visit to Cape Town. He added, "But I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done." |
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