Queen Camilla is reflecting on a near-assault from her teen years.
“When I was a teenager, I was attacked on a train,” Camilla, 78, said during an appearance on BBC Radio 4‘s Today, released on Wednesday, December 31. “I had sort of forgotten about it, but I remember at the time being so angry.”
She explained that the incident took place when “this boy — what I thought was an old man was probably not a great deal older than me,” whom she didn’t know, approached her and things escalated.
“I was reading my book,” Camilla recalled. “This boy, man, attacked me, and I did fight back and I remember getting off the train and my mother looking at me and saying, ‘Why is your hair standing on end? And why is a button missing from your coat?’”
Queen Camilla Gets New Royal Title as She Celebrates 78th Birthday
Camilla’s first emotion was “anger” after the attack.
“I was so furious about it,” she added. “It sort of lurked for many years.”
Then, Camilla had “sort of forgotten” the experience. “You bury things like that,” she said.
Camilla’s past attack was first revealed in the book Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy and 10 Downing Street. An excerpt from the book was released via the U.K. Times in September.
Author Valentine Low wrote that Camilla had detailed her experience with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2008. Johnson relayed the story to his communications director Guto Harri, who recalled the moment for the book.
“The serious conversation they had was about her being the victim of an attempted sexual assault when she was a schoolgirl,” Low wrote, claiming that “some guy was moving his hand further and further” while Camilla was on the train. Camilla allegedly said she “took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel.”
Buckingham Palace declined to offer comment regarding Camilla’s story at the time.
Queen Camilla’s Family Guide: Meet Her Ex-Husband, 2 Kids and More
The queen decided to speak publicly on Wednesday about her ordeal after three members of BBC commentator John Hunt’s family were murdered inside their England home. In 2024, John’s wife, Carol Hunt, and two daughters, Hannah and Louise, were killed by Louise’s ex-boyfriend Kyle Clifford.
Clifford knocked on the door of their home in July 2024, months after splitting from Louise. He spoke with Carol before stabbing her eight times. When Louise returned home, Clifford sexually assaulted her several times before killing her with a crossbow. Hannah was the last to arrive on scene. After arguing with Clifford, he shot her with the same crossbow and fled the scene. Hannah called the police to the home before dying from her injuries. Clifford was sentenced to life in prison this past March.
John and his surviving daughter, Amy, have been vocal about the family’s story following the killings to continue raising awareness about violence against women.
“I would just like to say, wherever your family is now, they would be so proud of you both,” Camilla told John and Amy. “They must be from above, smiling down on you and thinking, ‘My goodness me, what a wonderful father, husband, sister.’ They’d just be so proud of you both.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
