The Queen has revealed she is feeling tired following her bout of pneumonia but is on the mend. Camilla was asked about her health when she joined domestic abuse survivors, advocates and staff from Women’s Aid to celebrate the organisation’s 50th anniversary.
In an impromptu speech, the Queen, who has long campaigned on the issue, vowed to help end domestic abuse and said: “It’s terrible that after 50 years it still has to be eradicated but we are making progress.” The Queen recently appeared in an ITV documentary about her work on domestic abuse which also featured Alice Liveing, a Women’s Aid ambassador and a survivor of an abusive relationship.
Ms Liveing spoke to Camilla as the 50th anniversary celebration began and said afterwards: “She said she was feeling pretty tired and she was on the mend, she (said) was trying to juggle some bits. She’s a long-standing supporter of Women’s Aid and, more widely, domestic abuse, it’s very clear it’s very close to her heart. I think the documentary showed that, and even if she’s not 100% she still comes – I think that’s wonderful.”
The Queen has had a busy week helping the King host the state visit of the Emir of Qatar over two days, only missing the open-air ceremonial welcome and one element of the state banquet to rest. She looked relaxed as she joined the large group of women in central London and said in her short speech before cutting the 50th birthday cake: “I’ve talked to many, many women and men all around the country, all around the world, and you hear the same devastating stories time and time again. I was so moved by it.”
She got a loud round of applause when she added: “I’ve no intention now that I’ve started to stop now, I’m determined to put an end to this…”
“We’ve all got to pull together, and start hearing the voices of survivors, it’s so important because every time another survivor hears a voice it inspires them perhaps to get up and say something themselves.”