- By Shivangi Sharma
- Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Britain’s Queen Camilla reportedly fought off a sexual assault as a teenager during a train journey to London, according to shocking new revelations in an upcoming book. The biography, which explores the royal family’s relationship with government leaders, recounts how the then-teenage Camilla Shand used the heel of her shoe to defend herself and ensure her attacker was arrested.
The incident is said to have occurred when Camilla was around 16 or 17 years old. During a train ride to London’s Paddington station, a man allegedly began inappropriately touching her. Rather than staying silent, Camilla acted swiftly.
“I did what my mother taught me to. I took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel,” her account in the book reads. Once the train arrived at Paddington, Camilla alerted a police officer, leading to the man’s immediate arrest.
Connection To Boris Johnson’s Policies
The story resurfaced years later during a 2008 meeting at Clarence House between Camilla and then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. According to Guto Harri, Johnson’s former communications chief, Johnson discussed his plans to open more rape crisis centres in London. During their conversation, Camilla shared her own teenage experience as a way of underlining the importance of such facilities.
The book’s author noted that Camilla later went on to inaugurate some of the new centres, reflecting her long-standing support for charities that aid victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse.
“She did the responsible thing. Not only was she resourceful and strong, she was a responsible citizen in making sure the man was arrested,” the author told the BBC. Harri also recalled how Camilla was calm and self-possessed during the ordeal, immediately seeking out a police officer once she stepped off the train.
The account suggests that her personal experience may have shaped her outspoken advocacy for women’s rights and victims of abuse. However, she has reportedly avoided speaking publicly about the incident, believing her story should not overshadow the often more severe trauma endured by other victims.
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Palace Declines Comment
Buckingham Palace has so far declined to comment on the revelations. The claims are detailed in the forthcoming book Power and the Palace, which also delves into sensitive moments in the monarchy’s political history, including suggestions that the late Queen Elizabeth II privately opposed Brexit.
