A deeply personal experience from Queen Camilla’s teenage years has come to light in a new royal biography.
The book, Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy and 10 Downing Street by Valentine Low, claims that Camilla once fought off an attacker while traveling alone on a train as a schoolgirl.
According to the account, she was just 16 or 17 when a man began inappropriately touching her on her journey to Paddington.
Drawing on her mother’s advice, Camilla reportedly took off her high heel and struck the man to defend herself.
A Private Experience Shared Behind Closed Doors
The revelation is said to have first been shared in 2008 with Boris Johnson, shortly after he became Mayor of London.
During a meeting at Clarence House, she allegedly described the frightening encounter, recalling how the stranger’s hand kept moving “further and further.”
While Camilla never intended to make this story public, friends say she has always been open with those close to her.
Now that it has surfaced, sources close to the Queen say she views its publication pragmatically: if it helps other women feel seen or supported, she considers that a positive outcome.
Empathy Without Comparison
Friends emphasize that while the experience was unpleasant and unacceptable, Camilla has never equated her ordeal with the devastating accounts of survivors she has met through her work.
She does not see her story as central to her public campaigning, but those close to her believe it has given her a deeper sense of empathy and understanding.
“She dealt with it and moved forward,” one source explained, adding that Camilla has always believed other women’s voices and stories should be placed above her own.
Turning Advocacy Into a Lifelong Commitment
Camilla’s first official step into supporting survivors came in 2009 when, as Duchess of Cornwall, she visited a crisis centre for rape and sexual assault victims in Croydon.
Moved by what she saw, she resolved to make the issue a cornerstone of her public role.
From there, her work grew. She hosted a landmark London reception in 2013 that brought together leaders and organisations tackling rape and sexual abuse—a first of its kind in the UK.
That same year, she launched her “washbags” initiative, ensuring that victims leaving forensic examinations had small comforts like shampoo, shower gel, and toothbrushes to restore a sense of dignity in the aftermath of trauma.
Global Support and Patronages
Her commitment has extended well beyond Britain.
Over the years, she has visited centres in countries such as India, the United States, and across the Balkans.
Most recently, she became patron of Nigeria’s Mirabel Centre, the country’s first dedicated sexual assault referral centre.
At home, she remains closely linked to organisations including Safe Lives and WOW!, both of which support survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.
Breaking Taboos and Speaking Out
In 2021, Camilla delivered a powerful speech challenging the stigma survivors face, stating: “Rapists are not born, they are constructed.
And it takes an entire community to dismantle the culture that shames victims.”
She has also widened her focus to include domestic abuse.
Last year, an ITV documentary followed her campaign work, capturing a touching moment in a women’s refuge where she listened to a survivor recount her story of abuse.
In the film, Camilla insisted that domestic violence must not remain a taboo subject.
A Queen Shaped by Compassion
Though her own story dates back decades, Queen Camilla has used her platform to highlight the struggles of others.
Her lifelong advocacy has not been about her personal experience, but about shining a light on the countless survivors who deserve to be heard.
For her, it has always been about giving space, dignity, and support to others—ensuring that their voices remain at the heart of the conversation.
