Hetti Barkworth-Nanton receives her CBE at Buckingham Palace

On 28th November 2024, Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, as co-founder and co-Patron of The Joanna Simpson Foundation and Chair of Refuge, received her CBE from The Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace.

She received her CBE for her services to people affected by domestic abuse and homicide. Hetti was awarded a CBE recipient in The King’s 2024 New Years Honours List.

️At Buckingham Palace today, during the #16days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence,The Princess Royal invested Henrietta Barkworth-Nanton CBE for services to people affected by Domestic Abuse and Homicide.

Hetti is the Co-Founder and Patron of @JRCSFoundation, and chair… pic.twitter.com/2Q5NfGo2w9

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) November 28, 2024

Hetti, alongside Diana Parkes, co-founded The Joanna Simpson Foundation in 2014, following the brutal killing of Joanna Simpson by her estranged husband, Robert Brown in 2010. Joanna’s killing took place one week before the finalisation of their divorce. Joanna’s body was found 5 days later buried in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park. Despite evidence of considerable planning, Robert Brown was convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Hetti joined Refuge as Chair in 2020. Through her work with Refuge and The Joanna Simpson Foundation, Hetti has campaigned to transform the care, support and protection of women and children affected by domestic abuse and homicide.

In 2016, Hetti met the then-Duchess of Cornwall, alongside Diana, during a visit to the London office of SafeLives. More recently, Hetti featured in ITV’s ‘Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors’, a new documentary which will give viewers unprecedented access to Queen Camilla’s work in raising awareness of domestic and sexual violence.

Speaking about her investiture today at Windsor Castle, Hetti said: ‘Receiving my CBE today at Buckingham Palace from The Princess Royal was an incredible privilege. It was a special day that neither myself nor my family will ever forget. I would not be working within the domestic abuse sector were it not for my friend, Joanna Simpson, who was brutally killed by her estranged husband.

Tackling domestic abuse is a shared responsibility for us all. Domestic abuse can affect anyone, we must change attitudes surrounding this abuse to truly eradicate it.

Having been recognised for my work in raising awareness around domestic abuse, it is appropriate that I am receiving my CBE in the middle of the 16 days of activism against gender based violence and I would urge everyone to ask themselves what they are doing to affect real change for women and girls across the world. I will continue to do all that I can to ensure domestic abuse is eliminated.’