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King Charles III

Duchess of Cornwall urges the public to continue the conversation about domestic abuse

The importance of speaking out against domestic violence has been highlighted on many occasions in recent years and now the Duchess of Cornwall has urged people to continue the conversation.

Camilla’s plea comes during the royal visit to France and following her visit on Tuesday to a charity which provides victims of domestic abuse with refuge housing.

VIFILL SOS, based in Lyon, France, was set up in 1979 and aims to support those affected by domestic violence and help women who don’t have the financial means to leave their abusive partners.

The Duchess of Cornwall was given a brief tour of the shared kitchen and children’s reception before providing the charity with two hampers for the women and children to enjoy, both of which were filled with delicious baked treats.

Speaking to Sky News and reported in Southern Daily Echo, the Duchess of Cornwall said: “It’s incredibly well run, the lady who runs it is passionate about it, it’s been going for a very long time, I think- long before a lot of people talked about domestic abuse.”

“It’s the one place they (the women and children) feel safe, they can get back on their feet, get back into work and back into a normal life again.”

The charity is financed by the city and mayor who both give it their full support.

Camilla has also recently revealed that much of her inspiration to help women and children who find themselves in this situation, has come from witnessing how her own friends have suffered similar experiences in the past.

As reported in The Express, Camilla explained: “I’d always known about domestic abuse.

“In fact, I knew people who’d suffered from it.

“But I’d no idea of the extent or how many people, how many women actually around the world, are suffering from it.”

And the Duchess of Cornwall is clearly passionate that the talk about domestic abuse continues.

“The more people know about it, the more we can do about it.”

While on their visit to Lyon, Prince Charles and Camilla also lay a wreath at a ceremony to commemorate VE Day.