01-04-2025
Queen calls social media ‘terrifying'
The Queen has described social media as 'terrifying'.
Her Majesty, 77, made the remark as she showed her support to a family campaigning to lower the age at which victims of domestic abuse are recognised.
The Queen spoke with the parents of schoolgirl Holly Newton, a 15-year-old who was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in January 2023.
At a Clarence House reception for the charity SafeLives, which aims to eradicate domestic abuse, the Queen met Micala and Lee Trussler, Holly's mother and stepfather.
They are campaigning for the law to be changed so that people under 16 can be classed as victims of domestic abuse.
It is understood that the Queen, who has been patron of SafeLives since 2020, was showing personal support for the family rather than expressing backing for a political campaign.
She also spoke to Diana Parkes, whose daughter Joanna Simpson was killed in her family home by her estranged husband.
Ms Parkes, who appeared on the ITV documentary The Queen: Behind Closed Doors, told Camilla that the scale of domestic abuse was 'frightening'.
'Terrifying,' agreed the Queen, adding: 'And social media.'
Speaking after the Queen had departed, Parkes said: 'We were speaking about that and also sadly how these young boys are stabbing each other and how horrendous that has been now.
'Frightening. These young boys who don't really know what they're doing - and social media plays a huge part in all this.
'The internet has been wonderful, but my god, it has done a lot of damage as well, let's be honest.'
The comments come amid a renewed national conversation about the dangers of social media for young men sparked by the Netflix show Adolescence, which tells the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a female classmate.
Last week, it became the first streaming show to top the UK's weekly TV ratings and has opened up a raft of conversations about the dangers of online misogyny as well as about incels - short for 'involuntarily celibates'.
The Trusslers and Ms Parkes were among around 100 guests welcomed to Clarence House on Tuesday afternoon, where Camilla cut a birthday cake to mark the 21st anniversary of SafeLives.
She grinned as she was honoured with a 'Starfish Award' in recognition of her support for survivors and her work to raise awareness around domestic abuse.
The Queen paid tribute to the charity in an off-the-cuff speech, saying: 'It's touched so many people and it's saved so many lives'.
'I would not be standing here if it was 10 years ago, and none of these people would have been standing here because we wouldn't have been talking about it – it was a taboo subject,' she continued.
'But now here we are, 10 years later, we've got survivors telling their stories. Years ago they would have been too ashamed to have come forward to tell their tales, but now they'll get up and they'll talk and they'll inspire others to talk.
'So it's just to say we've come a really long way, so we must go on doing the same thing.'
Speaking after the event, Lee Trussler said that the Queen's support meant that their campaign was 'getting heard in the highest place in the country'.
He added: 'We're hoping other people are going to take notice that the Queen's paying attention so they can get behind us and get the law changed to protect the kids.'
At the beginning of the engagement, Maya Balachandran, a change maker for SafeLives, thanked Her Majesty for her continued support of the charity.
She told the Queen: 'For nearly five years, you've been a patron of SafeLives, using your platform to shine a light on domestic abuse and the need for change.
'Your support has reached those who might otherwise not be heard.'
