THEyou were, listening to the testimonies of a group of victims of economic domestic abuse, Queen Camilla, 78 years old, she admitted that she was left speechless. “I didn’t know anything about all this,” commented the sovereign, who has made the fight against violence against women the fulcrum of her charitable and social commitment. In a meeting hosted at Clarence House, the queen declared visibly moved: “I thought I already knew everything there was to know, but I was wrong.”
Queen Camilla wants to eliminate economic abuse of women
In the background of a afternoon teaan afternoon tea served in the Morning Roomone of the state rooms of King Charles’ London residence, Camilla listened carefully to the victims’ stories. Dramatic stories of abuse and coercive controls relating to the limitation of financial autonomy, with partners preventing access to money and savings, imposing restrictions on purchases of all kinds, including personal ones.
The victims supported by Camilla
Victims told the Queen of situations of profound isolation and fear, often accompanied by physical, emotional and psychological abuse. A process that, creating an inevitable dependence and long-term impact, not only makes it difficult to leave toxic relationships, but can also continue after the end of the relationship. Women who manage to survive they admit that they have lost their homes, found themselves homeless and have been forced to face a long future of economic insecurity.
Camilla during the meeting at Clarence House, London, 9 December 2025 (Getty Images)
The Queen is working closely with a charity
Camilla wanted to know in detail the ideas and projects advanced by SEA (Surviving Economic Abuse – Surviving economic abuse), the only English charity entirely dedicated to the problem. Its volunteers work day and night to try to protect women from an increasingly widespread form of gender violence in Great Britain: Over the last 12 months, 1 in 6 British women said they had experienced situations of economic abuse, for a total of around four million victims.
Queen Camilla wants to create a nationwide aid network
The sovereign herself highlighted the importance of creating a communication and education network at a national level, which gives more prominence to the problem, especially in the media. “It’s not talked about enough,” commented Camilla. For this reason, local financial institutions, charities and government organizations will have to coordinate more frequent and decisive checks and actions also with the help of the authorities and the police forces. Only in this way will it be possible to protect every single victim and therefore proceed with eliminating the problem throughout the country.
Camilla’s prayer to the banks: «Help the victims more»
In this regard, Camilla also wanted to invite representatives of several English banksasking them to engage more effectively in developing protection systems for the women most at risk, especially in relation to more careful control of savings and the danger of loans and mortgages requested by a partner in the name of the abused person. It is important, the Queen stressed, to identify victims as early as possible and allow them to safely access their finances.
Camilla gives voice to all victims of economic abuse
«I hope today’s meeting is a step forward towards this direction”, concluded Camilla. «Talking to all these courageous women, allowing them to tell their story, coordinating all the banks and financial institutions, exchanging experiences and ideas. This is the right way to get to the finish line.”