Engrish Version 

 

LUCREZIA VICTORIA ELIZABETH, A PECULIAR NAME FOR AN ITALIAN. HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?

Don't tell me! Until I came to live in England, I had to specify that I am Italian. Not to mention those who mispronounced my name, like many calling me Elisabetta. Anyway, it was my maternal grandmother's choice. She adored English culture and loved England. In fact, both my sister and I have two English names: Lucrezia Victoria Elizabeth and Grace Jane.

 

SO YOUR GRANDMOTHER CHOSE YOUR NAMES? THEY'RE ALL "IMPORTANT" NAMES: VICTORIA AND ELIZABETH MAKE ONE THINK OF THE GREAT ENGLISH QUEENS, AND LUCREZIA, WELL LUCREZIA BORGIA. AS FOR YOUR SISTER, GRACE MAKES ME THINK OF GRACE KELLY, AND JANE, TARZAN'S BELOVED OR JANE AUSTEN.

Well, I explain it thoroughly in my book, but yes, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head, except for the fact that Grace is inspired by Grace O'Malley, the Irish pirate queen born in 1530. And to answer the first part of your question, yes, she chose them. She was the strong woman in the house. In a sense, she was my role model.

 

YOUR LIFE DIDN'T START WELL, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY.

Well, I'd say that as long as my grandmother was alive, everything was more or less normal. She lived with us and was, in my opinion, the point that maintained balance. She died shortly after Grace's birth, and from there, things changed. First, the problems between my mother and father began, and then my father's attention turned to me. I was scared and couldn't rebel. I was so terrified that I often thought suicide was the best way to escape everything. But my love for my sister always dissuaded me. Unfortunately, I couldn't count on my mother's support, whom even at that age, I considered a weak woman. Then economic problems also arrived. Hunger and I had a close relationship for years. We lost our home and found ourselves living in rented accommodation. In short, a disaster within a disaster.

 

AND HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN THE NIGHTMARE STARTED, AND HOW LONG DID IT LAST?

I was little, 9 years old, coinciding with the onset of menarche. It lasted 3 years, then there was an event, which I also recount in the book, that put an end to the abuse, but I don't want to give anything away.

 

I READ ON ONE OF YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS THAT "THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD WITHOUT CENSORSHIP." WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

It means that if a story is true, it shouldn't be altered in any way. In the book, I use real names and surnames, and where there's direct speech, it's exactly as it happened. Some conversations are so powerful they can't be forgotten.

 

AND AREN'T YOU AFRAID OF LEGAL REPRISALS?

That's my lawyers' problem, not mine. I've been afraid for too long. Now I've tasted courage and become greedy for it.

 

HOW DID YOU END UP IN ENGLAND?

The romantic part of me would tell you I was destined to live here from birth; the more practical part of me tells you my Prince arrived to save me on his white horse, but... perhaps that's my romantic side too... Although we have 5 horses here (she laughs) and one is white. Jokes aside, my husband arrived precisely when my old marriage was already in tatters.

 

WAS IT HARD TO LEAVE YOUR HOMELAND?

Well, no, I'd say not at all. In Italy, I was often under attack. You see, I always cared about my appearance and liked to be well-groomed. At the time, I worked as an educator in a nursery school, and my colleagues, including the manager, were vipers. It was a typical Italian behaviour that I've never encountered here in 13 years.

 

WELL, IT'S UNDENIABLE THAT YOU'RE STILL A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN.

Thank you, for the "woman" part. (She laughs). I once was.

 

I KNOW IT'S NOT POLITE, BUT HOW OLD ARE YOU?

I'll be 49 in September, but age is just a number.

 

AND DON'T YOU MISS YOUR LOVED ONES?

Everything I love is here. My family is here.

 

YOUR MOTHER, DO YOU SEE HER OFTEN?

No, we cut ties when I made a discovery that shocked me, but I talk about it in the book and don't want to give any spoilers.

 

YOU HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, AM I RIGHT?

Yes. Phoebe Trish and Shania Liza Mary are several years apart. Phoebe was born from my marriage to my ex-husband. She got married a few months ago.

 

AND YOUR SISTER?

When I came here, she moved to Brighton shortly after. Unfortunately, she's no longer with us... I talked about it in the book, but her loss is still very painful, I'd rather not talk about it.

 

ABSOLUTELY, I UNDERSTAND AND I'M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. LET'S MOVE ON THEN, WERE YOU WELL RECEIVED?

Incredibly well. Even when they found out I had another daughter. They treated her as if she had always been their relative. I must say it couldn't have gone better.

 

IF YOU HAD TO GIVE A FILM TITLE TO YOUR MEETING WITH YOUR HUSBAND?

I have no doubt, "COMING TO AMERICA ."

 

I KNOW YOU RECENTLY HAD A VERY BAD EXPERIENCE; YOU WERE RAPED. I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO RECOUNT THE DYNAMICS; I KNOW IT HURTS, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME BROADLY HOW IT HAPPENED?

Certainly. I also talk about this in the book. I was in a bar alone, waiting for my daughter to finish her dance lesson. A guy with a strong Italian accent complimented me... I thanked him and sat down at the table with the intention of drinking tea. He joined me and asked, in very broken English, if he could sit with me, along with his friend. He told me he was from Syracuse and was there on holiday. I told him I wanted to be alone. He went back to his seat. After drinking my tea and seeing it was almost time to go, I took out my lipstick, realising I hadn't brought my mirror. I went to the toilet to tidy myself up, and while I was there, I found him behind me. He ripped my dress, and in trying to tear off my knickers, he hurt me. I was screaming, trying to escape, and he tried to strangle me and bash my head against the floor. Fortunately, an off-duty police officer heard the screams. I owe my life to him. A few more minutes and they probably would have found a corpse on the floor.

 

SO HE WAS ARRESTED...

YES, the trial was short (72 days), and thanks to the testimonies, my lawyers, and a fair judge, he will now serve a sentence of 25 years and 10 months, right here in England. A small victory that doesn't make up for how much I suffered and continue to suffer (although I do everything to counteract it, I still have nightmares or sudden flashbacks; I no longer have panic attacks, at least that's something).

 

YOUR BOOK, "FROM THE SHADOWS TO THE CROWN," CARRIES AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT TO SOMEONE READING YOUR INTERVIEW?

It's a very profound book. To write it, I delved into my most painful past, talking about what I experienced, but it's not just my story. Many women, of all ages, experience all or part of what I report in the book. The book also tells how I managed to face all this, trying to give some suggestions, indirectly, to all those who don't know how to get out. Writing it cost me a lot of effort because remembering is difficult. The spirit of sisterhood that drives me to support those who are going through these situations has pushed me to create events, which I personally fund, aimed at raising awareness. The last one was held on my daughter Shania's last day of school, in collaboration with the school itself. There were almost 400 people. It was something powerful.

 

WHAT DOES LUCREZIA VICTORIA ELIZABETH KELLINGTON HAVE TODAY THAT LUCREZIA VICTORIA ELIZABETH GISMONDI DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE?

Gismondi had fear but much determination. Kellington has kept the determination but gained courage.

 

HOW MUCH DID FINANCIAL COMFORT INFLUENCE THE NEW LUCREZIA?

You know that saying: "money doesn't buy happiness"? It's not just a saying; it's the truth. Many say that if you're rich, you're automatically happy. Absolutely not. I'm happy because I'm loved. Of course, I don't deny that being able to afford whatever I want pleases me, but when I fell in love with Peter, I had no idea what his financial resources were. Lucrezia Victoria Elizabeth Kellington doesn't owe her new strength to money. Her strength comes from the rich baggage of battles fought and won, from the awareness of being loved, and from the certainty that at the end of every tunnel there's always a light, and that once you've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. This is the spirit and the message that "FROM THE SHADOWS TO THE CROWN" wants to leave. And it's outside the shadow that our crown awaits us.

 

THANK YOU, LUCREZIA, FOR THIS WONDERFUL CHAT.

Thank you for giving me your time.

 

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