Camilla Duchess of Cornwall says she knows people who have suffered domestic abuse

The Duchess of Cornwall has urged people to help break the "taboo" of domestic abuse by sharing their stories.

Speaking to the Daily Mail at a Clarence House event for domestic violence charity SafeLives, Camilla said she had listened to "harrowing stories" from survivors which had "many of us listeners in tears."

(PA)

"I had [in 2016] the privilege of hearing incredibly brave women standing up to tell their stories – harrowing stories that reduced many of us listeners to tears" she said. "But with each story, the taboo around domestic abuse weakens and the silence that surrounds it is broken, so other sufferers can know that there is hope for them and they are not alone."

(Mark Large / Daily Mail)

She also shared she had known people personally who she suspected were victims too. "I have known people I suspected it was happening to but they wouldn’t actually talk about it" she said, "people didn’t talk about it then. People feel guilty, they feel ashamed, they think it must be their fault. And I think you have got to convince people that it’s not their fault."

(Getty Images)

The event at Clarence House followed a joint visit to Loughborough with her husband Prince Charles, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge - their first engagement as a four in nine years.

SafeLives is a charity established in 2005 which helps protect domestic violence victims in danger and trains specialists to identify telltale signs of abuse.