Camilla Parker Bowles took a stand against a major issue today at the Women of the World Festival in London.
The 72-year-old Duchess of Cornwall delivered a powerful keynote speech at The Royal Festival Hall, where she spoke openly about the threat of domestic violence and the “corrosive” effect it has.
Wearing a bright crimson pleated dress, the future queen consort said, “I find it almost impossible to think that any friend of mine might be living under that horrific threat, without my knowing it, but that is the power of coercive control and violence in the home.”
She noted that she’s personally known a number of families who have been impacted by domestic abuse.
The duchess went on to say, “It is characterized by silence—silence from those that suffer—silence from those around them, and silence from those who perpetrate abuse. This silence is corrosive; it leaves women, children and men carrying the burden of shame. It prevents them from speaking out about the abuse and it prevents them from getting help. And at its worst, it can be fatal.”
Camilla started tackling the issue of domestic abuse after visiting the Safe Lives charity in 2016. After hearing so many poignant stories, she took it upon herself to shed light on the issue. The Women of the World Festival, which she’s been the patron of since 2015, proved to be the ideal platform for her to speak out against the global issue.
“It affects everybody. It doesn’t matter who you are,” the Duchess of Cornwall explained. “That would be my message to people: whoever you are, wherever you are from, there are organizations that can help you. Go and get help. Talk to them, just get up and talk about your experiences. They will help.”
In an effort to encourage survivors and supporters to unite, she introduced the hashtag #everyonesproblem because that’s exactly what domestic abuse is.
All we can say is, bravo, Camilla, for being a face for progress.
