Queen Camilla got a first-hand look at the pressures facing emergency services on Thursday during a visit to Avon and Somerset police headquarters in Portishead.
Wearing a pair of headphones, she listened to a real 999 call from a woman reporting her ex-partner on her property.
The Queen told the force fields around 34,000 domestic violence calls each year, a figure she described as “horrific” and “far too many”, while praising the team for their dedication.
“Sometimes people must be very scared, so it must be difficult to get information out of them,” she noted.
“It’s fascinating to watch and horrifying how many calls are coming in.”
Camilla, who has long campaigned for survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse, met with the force’s Domestic Violence Survivors Group, created by Inspector Sharon Baker, herself a survivor.
She was also met by Chief Constable Sarah Crew who briefed her on the vital work being done to protect vulnerable people.
