Queen Camilla has spoken candidly about the moment she says opened her eyes to the true scale of violence against women, a realization that helped shape her long-standing commitment to tackling domestic abuse. The Queen shared her reflections during a private conversation with BBC racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy at a December fundraising gala for The Hunt Family Fund.
The charity was set up in memory of Hunt’s wife Carol, 61, and daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28, who were murdered at their family home in Bushey in July 2024. Portions of the discussion were later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Today.
Speaking directly to Hunt and his daughter, Camilla offered words of comfort and admiration. “I’d just like to say, wherever your family is now, they’d be so proud of you both. And they must be from above smiling down on you and thinking, my goodness me, what a wonderful, wonderful father, husband, sister,” she said.
The conversation took place at Clarence House, where the Queen also reflected on the early moments that pushed her toward activism on gender-based violence. Camilla has spent years supporting organizations that work with survivors of domestic abuse, but she said it was a meeting with SafeLives that truly changed her understanding.
“I remember being just so shocked and horrified by the whole thing, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, and it made me realise how naive I’d been about this sort of thing,” she said. “I mean, we read about it occasionally in the papers, but we don’t realise that it’s happening all the time.”
Camilla explained that hearing firsthand accounts from women who had been attacked or killed stripped away any distance she previously felt from the issue. The stories, she said, revealed how widespread and constant the violence really is, often hidden behind closed doors and misunderstood by those not directly affected.
In the same discussion, the Queen also shared a personal experience from her own youth. She recalled being attacked as a teenager and instinctively fighting back, only later fully grasping the seriousness of what had happened. While she did not go into graphic detail, the admission underscored her belief that violence against women cuts across age, background, and social class.
Her comments came in the context of honoring the Hunt family’s efforts to turn personal tragedy into meaningful action. By establishing their fund, Hunt and his daughter aim to support causes that address violence and protect others from similar harm.
Camilla’s remarks highlighted both the emotional weight of the issue and her determination to keep it in the public conversation, stressing that awareness is only the first step toward lasting change.
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