Queen Camilla faced sexual assault in her teens, thrashed man with her shoe, new book reveals

Queen Camilla was the victim of an attempted sexual assault as a teenager and used the heel of her shoe to fend off her attacker, according to a new book about the monarchy. This book explores the relationship between the British royal family and the country's politicians and includes an account from Queen Camilla regarding the assault she experienced during her teenage years.

An excerpt from Valentine Low's new book titled Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy and 10 Downing Street, published in The Sunday Times on, August 31, details the initial encounters between Camilla, now 78, and Boris Johnson, who was then the Mayor of London in 2008.

According to Guto Harri, the communications director who worked with Johnson when he was newly elected, Camilla invited him to Clarence House for their first meeting.

How the event unfolded

The incident happened while Queen Camilla was traveling on a train to Paddington Station at the age of 16 or 17. A man began to touch the queen inappropriately, and to defend herself, she took off her shoe and struck the attacker with the heel, a technique she had learned from her mother, as per Harri, as reported in the Sunday Times.

Harri recalled the conversation, “She was on a train going to Paddington – she was about 16, 17 – and some guy was moving his hand further and further …”

Then he added, "At that point Johnson had asked what happened next. She replied: 'I did what my mother taught me to. I took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel.'

When the train reached Paddington Station, she informed a uniformed man about the incident, and the attacker was subsequently arrested.

The Queen has kept this personal trauma private for many years, choosing instead to focus publicly on advocating for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Camilla's role in spreading awareness of domestic violence

The Queen has been campaigning for years to spread awareness of domestic abuse and her voice to help make a difference. She has been a patron of several charities around the world, including SafeLives, a charity she has been working with since 2020, as per Hello Magazine.

Camilla has traveled extensively to raise awareness about domestic violence, visiting abuse centers in countries such as India, the Balkans, and the USA. In her 2024 documentary, "Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors," she discusses further efforts to address domestic violence.