Her Majesty Queen Camilla has recalled being "so angry" and "furious" after a sexual assault which took place on a train when she was a teenager.
The topic came up during a wider conversation about women, violence and misogyny on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, recorded in the Garden Room at Clarence House last month.
Queen Camilla was talking to former Prime Minister Teresa May, alongside BBC racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy, whose family were murdered at their home.
© Getty ImagesReflecting on her own attack, Her Majesty explained that she had "sort of forgotten" about her ordeal but was encouraged to speak up after hearing about what Mr Hunt and his eldest daughter Amy went through.
"I remember something that had been lurking in the back of my brain for a very long time," the Queen said. "That, when I was a teenager, I was attacked on a train… I remember at the time being so angry."
Giving further details of the harrowing event, Queen Camilla continued that the perpetrator was "someone I didn't know," explaining: "I was reading my book, and this boy, man, attacked me, and I did fight back.
© Getty Images"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?'
"I remember anger, and I was so furious about it, and it's sort of lurked for many years. And I think, when all the subject about domestic abuse came up, and suddenly you hear a story like John and Amy's, it's something that I feel very strongly about."
What happened to John and Amy Hunt?
The family of John and Amy - Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, and their mother Carol Hunt, 61 - were killed by Kyle Clifford, 27 – Louise's ex-partner – in a quiet cul-de-sac in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9 last year.
John and Amy have since launched The Hunt Family Fund and held a gala in early December to launch the initiative. Discussing their bravery, Queen Camilla praised: "I'd just like to say, 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."
Royals speaking out
While this is the first time Her Majesty has spoken at length about her own assault publicly, the Queen has worked to highlight organisations supporting victims of rape and sexual assault for over ten years, undertaking several visits to learn more about the issues, meet survivors, and highlight the invaluable contribution made by the people and organisations working in this area.
© Getty ImagesIn 2014, Her Majesty met actress Angelina Jolie to discuss her work on ending sexual violence in conflict, while during a tour of the Balkans in 2016, The Queen spoke to women who were raped during the Kosovan conflict, and who shared their harrowing stories.
More recently, in November 2022, the Queen hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace bringing together individuals and organisations who are working in the Violence Against Women space, during which she gave a speech taking of the growing issue of violence against women globally, and the hope which many of those attending offered survivors and future generations of women and girls.
Her work in the space was highlighted in a 2024 ITV documentary, Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors, which showed Camilla's efforts to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence.
