Queen Camilla once 'whacked' a molester with her high heel
What's the story
Queen Camilla, the wife of England's King Charles III, was once sexually assaulted as a teenager. The incident took place on a train to Paddington when she was around 16 or 17 years old, a new book on the royals has revealed. In an encounter with former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Clarence House in June 2008, she recounted how she defended herself from the attack using her high heel.
Incident details
'I took off my shoe and whacked him...'
The attacker was "moving his hand further and further..." when Camilla "did what my mother taught me to. I took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel." After the incident, she reported it to a uniformed officer at Paddington station, leading to the arrest of her attacker. This revelation was made by Valentine Low, a former royal correspondent, in his upcoming book Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy.
Lasting impact
Camilla's experience led to the opening of rape crisis centers
Low learned about the incident from Johnson's ex-communications director, Guto Harri, who was also present during the meeting. This story apparently inspired Johnson to open three rape crisis centers in London. An insider told Daily Mail that Camilla shares her experience with those close as she sees it as a "positive outcome" if her experience can help other women. However, she has chosen not to speak publicly about it, not out of shame but because it happened so long ago.
Advocacy work
Queen's advocacy for sexual assault victims
The Queen has been a long-time advocate for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She has dedicated her royal charity work to this cause and even supported the idea of washbags for people who have been attacked, a concept that has recently resurfaced. In an ITV documentary last year, she pledged to continue her efforts to combat domestic violence until she could no longer do so.