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Queen Camilla Says She Fought Off an Attempted Sexual Assault on a Train as a Teenager

She uses a rare BBC Radio 4 interview to press for open conversation about violence against women.

Overview

  • In a special New Year edition of BBC Radio 4’s Today Program, Camilla described being attacked on a train when she was young and choosing to speak now to help break the taboo around abuse.
  • She recalled reading a book when the man assaulted her, said she struck him with her shoe heel, and noted her mother spotted her disheveled state and a missing coat button after she got off the train.
  • Camilla said she felt furious at the time and kept the experience private for years before deciding to use her platform to raise awareness.
  • The incident was placed in the 1960s in the UK and was disclosed during a discussion focused on violence against women.
  • Valentine Low’s recent book previously recounted the episode and reported that she made a complaint at the station that led to an arrest, a detail cited from the book rather than newly confirmed in the interview.