Queen Camilla Reflects on Teen Train Assault
Queen Camilla has shared her unsettling experience of being “attacked on a train” during her teenage years, marking the first time she has publicly addressed the incident.
During an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she mentioned that she had “somehow forgotten” about the assault, recalling that she didn’t know who her attacker was. “Afterwards, I remember being very angry,” she explained.
The 78-year-old recounted how she was reading a book when a boy assaulted her. “I fought back,” she said, clearly indicating that she did not go down without a struggle.
After the incident, Camilla noted that her mother asked, “Why is your hair standing on end and why is your coat missing a button?” This question served as a vivid reminder that the effects of such experiences can linger.
Camilla expressed her lingering anger over the incident, stating that those feelings “had been lurking for years.” This revelation prompted BBC commentator John Hunt to share his own family’s tragic story.
“When you talk about domestic violence and then hear stories like John and Amy’s, it resonates deeply,” she remarked.
Although Camilla has previously kept this experience private, she did mention it to then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, in 2008. Guto Hari, who was Johnson’s communications director, later talked about the “serious conversations” that ensued.
Rowe, who documented the interaction, detailed that Camilla was around 16 or 17 when she faced this encounter on the train to Paddington. “As some guy began to encroach, she resorted to what her mother taught her: she took off her shoe and hit him,” he elaborated.
Subsequently, other teenagers on the train alerted a uniformed officer, leading to her attacker’s arrest. Interestingly, during her 2008 conversation with Johnson, they also discussed the potential establishment of a rape crisis center, although it seemed to fade back into routine afterward.
If you or someone you know is impacted by issues raised in this article, you can reach the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
