“You can imagine how terrifying it is for a woman to be stuck with a very violent partner, feeling that fear every single day.
“This is something that creeps up very slowly and, far too often, it ends up with women being killed.”
—Her Majesty The Queen
Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors is a new documentary following The Queen as she works to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence.
As she meets survivors of domestic abuse and campaigners working to help victims and raise understanding of the issue, The Queen speaks candidly about what drove her to spend the last decade working in this field.
The Queen says:
“One of the most difficult things about domestic abuse, to understand, it’s not the bruises and the black eyes, which, unfortunately you see, through violence, this is something that creeps up very slowly and, far too often, it ends up with women being killed.
“You meet somebody, you think they’re wonderful and attractive and love you…and then bit by bit, they start to undermine you. They take away your friends, they take away your family…and then when you start questioning it…these people become very violent.”
One in five adults experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and it is estimated that around three women die by suicide as a result of domestic abuse every week.
The 90-minute film follows The Queen over the course of a year as she attends official engagements and never before seen private meetings with survivors and change makers who are trying to achieve progress in this field.
As she meets with Diana Parkes, whose daughter, Joanna Simpson, was killed by her estranged husband, The Queen says:
“I think she’s so strong, because not many people would be able to survive the death of their daughter. I admire her more than I can say.”
Theresa May, who made coercive and controlling behaviour an offence, tells the film:
“I think it’s incredibly important that Her Majesty shows an interest in this issue. We’ve come a long way…but sadly there is more to do. The police get a call about domestic abuse once every 30 seconds.”
Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors features interviews with victims of domestic abuse and relatives who have lost loved-ones as well as those working to end the violence.
One victim tells the programme how difficult it is to leave an abusive relationship. She says:
“There are invisible chains that are created, especially when you have children. You’re not just thinking about yourself, you’re thinking about people, little human beings, that you’re responsible for.”
Another describes the moment her estranged husband tried to kill her. She says:
“I can see him reaching into a bag and I can see him pulling this sawn off shotgun out of the bag. He hit me with the butt of the gun…he pointed the gun at my chest, told me he loved me and pulled the trigger.”
The film also follows Her Majesty as she celebrates International Women’s Day at Buckingham Palace and meets survivors who, if they hadn’t made it to a refuge, could have lost their lives.
Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors is a Love Monday production for ITV, and airs on Monday 11th November 2024 at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.