Queen gives our campaign the royal seal of approval

Camilla has gifted a substantial sum to help The Independent establish a safe house for women escaping domestic violence

- ATHENA STAVROU

The Queen has personally backed The Independent’s campaign to build a safe refuge for women and children fleeing domestic abuse.

Camilla has long been a supporter of women escaping abusive partners, and a vocal critic of violence within the home. In a major intervention, she has now made a substantial private donation to the innovative Brick by Brick appeal, which is raising money for a safe, secure home for domestic abuse survivors The Independent has teamed up with charity Refuge to raise £300,000, which will create a haven for women, their children and any pets.

The Queen responded after Dame Joanna Lumley appealed to the nation to “be a brick and buy a brick”. Each £15 donation buys a brick, and work has already started on the foundations, thanks to The Independent’s generous readers. A monumental £100,750 has already been raised, but more is needed to complete the project. An adviser to the monarch said she would “take a keen interest as the plans evolve” and described such safe spaces as “vital in providing a lifeline to those at their lowest ebb”.

As thousands of women across the UK face danger in their own homes, one woman is turned away every two hours from a refuge because of a lack of space or capacity.