01 September 2025 , 09:48
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Queen Camilla experienced an attempted sexual assault as a teenager and defended herself using the heel of her shoe, as claimed in a new book about the monarchy.
According to Power and the Palace, serialized in the Sunday Times, the queen disclosed the incident to Boris Johnson while he was the mayor of London, a role he held from 2008 to 2016.
Valentine Low, the author of the book and a former royal correspondent for the Times, interviewed Johnson’s former communications director, Guto Harri, who recounted the future prime minister sharing details of a meeting at Clarence House around 2008.
In a passage from the book, Harri mentioned that the two “got on like a house on fire,” with Johnson expressing with “guttural noises” his admiration and fondness for Camilla.
He continued: “However, the serious discussion they had was about her being a victim of an attempted sexual assault during her school years.
“She was on a train headed to Paddington – she was around 16 or 17 – when a man’s hand started moving further and further …”
Harri shared that when Johnson inquired about her reaction, she replied: “I did what my mother taught me to do. I removed my shoe and hit him in the groin with the heel.”
Harri added: “She was composed enough when they arrived at Paddington to get off the train, find someone in uniform, and say, ‘That man just attacked me,’ leading to his arrest.”
The queen, 78, has been a longstanding advocate against domestic violence and sexual abuse, dedicating her royal charity efforts to supporting victims of sexual assault.
Years ago, she supported the concept of providing washbags for individuals who have been attacked, an initiative that has recently been revived.
Head of Investigations