Queen Camilla has voiced her support for a parole board decision that kept a British Airways pilot who bludgeoned his wife to death behind bars. During the third garden party of the season at Buckingham Palace, the Queen spoke with domestic abuse campaigner Hetti Barkworth-Nanton and praised the recent ruling.
Queen Camilla's Support for Parole Decision
Ms Barkworth-Nanton, a close friend of Joanna Simpson, who was murdered by her estranged husband Robert Brown in 2010, discussed the decision with the Queen. "She thinks it is absolutely the right decision, she's delighted, particularly having read the decision summary. She's very supportive and always has been," Ms Barkworth-Nanton said.
The Queen was inspired to campaign against domestic abuse after meeting Joanna's mother, Diana Parkes. Ms Barkworth-Nanton, who works closely with Mrs Parkes and sits on the board of Refuge, recalled meeting the Queen at a palace event in 2022 where they discussed the impending automatic release of Brown. That conversation led to a campaign to prevent his release.
Other Notable Encounters at the Garden Party
The Queen also reunited with BBC racing commentator John Hunt and his surviving daughter Amy, whose family were tragically murdered in a crossbow and knife attack in July 2024. The Queen joked with Mr Hunt about escaping the races and received "top secret horse racing tips for Ascot."
King Charles and Queen Camilla, supported by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, spent an hour greeting 8,000 guests. The King discussed cider farming with representatives from the Royal Countryside Fund and encouraged environmental activists to "keep going," expressing concern that the movement was "losing momentum."
Historian Tom Holland, host of The Rest is History podcast, congratulated the King on his speech to the US Congress. The monarch joked, "Don't worry, we checked all the facts beforehand."
The Queen had previously invited Mr Hunt, his daughter, and former Prime Minister Theresa May to Clarence House as part of the UN International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an initiative she supports.
