At a Glance
- Queen Camilla speaks publicly for the first time about a personal indecent assault.
- She recalls fighting off a man on a 1960s train.
- She uses her royal platform to shine a light on domestic abuse and honor the Hunt family.
- Why it matters: Her testimony raises awareness of violence against women and encourages victims to speak out.
Queen Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, addressed the BBC on Wednesday, revealing a traumatic experience from her teenage years and reaffirming her commitment to fighting domestic abuse.
Camilla’s First Public Statement
Camilla said speaking out was one way she could use her royal platform to highlight the epidemic of violence against women.
Camilla said:
> “I was reading my book, and you know, this boy, man, attacked me, and I did fight back,”
She added that the attack made her furious but she kept it quiet until hearing other women share their stories.
The 1960s Train Assault
During a train ride to London’s Paddington Station, a man sitting next to her tried to touch her. Camilla fought him off by removing her shoe and striking him in the groin. When she reached Paddington she reported the incident to a uniformed officer who arrested the attacker.
Camilla said:
> “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?'”
The incident was later detailed in the book Power and the Palace and highlighted in a recent Vogue interview.
Advocacy and Tribute to the Hunt Family
Camilla praised former racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy for their work fighting domestic violence. She said the Hunt family would be proud and imagined them smiling from above.
Camilla said:
> “Wherever your family is now, they’d be so proud of you both. And they must be, from above, smiling down on you and thinking, ‘My goodness me, what a wonderful, wonderful father, husband, sister. They’d just be so proud of you both.'”
She highlighted that domestic violence has long been a taboo subject and that a “tiny soapbox” can help bring it to public attention.
Key Takeaways
- Queen Camilla’s testimony marks the first time she publicly discussed her own assault.
- She used the incident to advocate for victims and to honor the Hunt family’s memory.
- Her remarks underscore the need to break the taboo around domestic violence.
Queen Camilla’s candid disclosure reaffirms her role as a champion for women and a voice for those who have been silenced.
