In a deeply personal and powerful radio broadcast, Queen Camilla has revealed she was left "so angry" and "furious" after being attacked on a train as a teenager. The revelation came during a poignant conversation recorded for BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
A Conversation with Survivors
The Queen was in dialogue with John Hunt and his daughter Amy, whose family was tragically murdered in their Bushey, Hertfordshire home last year. The former prime minister, Baroness Theresa May, also took part in the recording. The Hunt family victims were Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, and their mother Carol Hunt, 61. They were killed by Kyle Clifford, 27 – Louise's ex-partner – on July 9, 2024.
Reflecting on the discussion about domestic abuse, the Queen recounted her long-buried memory. "I remember something that had been lurking in the back of my brain for a very long time," she said. "When I was a teenager, I was attacked on a train, and I'd sort of forgotten about it, but I remember at the time being so angry. It was anger."
The Details of the Assault
Queen Camilla described being targeted while reading a book. "Somebody I didn't know... this boy, man, attacked me, and I did fight back," she stated. The incident, which occurred in the early 1960s when she was 16 or 17 years old, saw her travelling to London's Paddington station.
She recalled her mother's reaction upon her arrival: "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?'" The Queen emphasised that the feeling of fury had "sort of lurked for many years."
According to prior reports in the book Power And The Palace by Valentine Low, Camilla "did what my mother taught me" and used her shoe to defend herself. A source close to the Queen has previously expressed hope that sharing such experiences helps "de-stigmatise the whole topic and empowers girls today to take action and seek help."
A Lifelong Commitment to Supporting Victims
The Queen connected her personal experience to her broader advocacy work. "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," she explained.
Her dedication to the cause is well-documented. She has visited rape centres in the UK and abroad, hosted receptions for survivors, and consistently spoken out on issues of sexual assault and domestic violence. In an ITV documentary last year, she vowed to continue her work "until I am able to no more." However, she has always maintained that the driving force behind her efforts is the stories of other women, not her own past.
Amy Hunt responded to the Queen's openness with gratitude, saying: "Thank you for sharing that story first, Your Majesty, because that takes a lot to share these things because every woman has a story." The broadcast serves as a stark reminder of the prevalence of assault and the enduring impact it has, while highlighting the importance of speaking out and supporting survivors.
