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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Queen Camilla wrote to French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot to "express support from the highest level," an aide told Newsweek.
Camilla has worked with victims of domestic violence for years and wanted to recognize Pelicot's "extraordinary dignity and courage."
Dominique Pelicot repeatedly drugged and raped his wife Gisèle for nearly a decade, recruited dozens of men to do the same and filmed more than 200 such attacks in a case that shocked France and the world.
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"She was tremendously affected by the Madame Pelicot case in France and that lady's extraordinary dignity and courage as she put herself in the public eye," a palace source said, "because, as she rightly put it, why should she be made to feel like a victim or hide away in shame?
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"And, of course, she helped highlight a very significant societal problem despite all the personal suffering she'd been through.
"So, as a long-term supporter of survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, the queen wrote to Madame Pelicot privately. It was very much her instigation and determination to write to express support from the highest level."
The letter of support serves as an example of Camilla seeking to do globally what she does regularly in Britain, including on February 6 when she visited Brave Spaces, in Exeter, in southwest England.
The charity is hoping for a permanent home but right now offers support to domestic violence victims from a room at the back of CoLab, a one-stop shop providing support services for a host of vulnerable people.
And there was a tender moment between the queen and Sarah, who told Camilla she survived a 10-year abusive relationship and that Brave Spaces helped her find a permanent apartment.
The emotion got too much for Sarah as she prepared for a posed picture and as she began to cry Camilla brought her to the front, ensuring she had pride of place in the photograph.
The queen touched her supportively on the back and said "big smile," as the cameras flashed.
"The queen is a great advocate for woman, so it was a privilege to be invited to meet her," Afnan Tellesy, 37, who needed help from Brave Spaces, told Newsweek. "She's got compassion. It was lovely, I'm proud of all the ladies in this room. I'm proud of how far I've come."
Jeanie Lynch, program manager for Brave Spaces, told Newsweek at the time: "For us to have such a big visit meant so much to the staff and to the women. She was lovely, she was really caring, she was really interested and very compassionate, that came across.
"Probably for some of the women that we've supported, the idea that the queen would come and talk to them just wouldn't have entered their minds so it's really great for their confidence and their future."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek*, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.*
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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