The Painful Memory Queen Camilla Says Never Truly Left Her

For decades, Queen Camilla has spoken publicly about the importance of protecting women and supporting survivors of abuse.

Now, at 78, she has revealed the deeply personal reason why that mission has always mattered so much to her.

In a rare and emotional moment, the Queen shared a memory from her teenage years that, despite time and silence, never truly faded.

Queen Camilla opened up about being indecently assaulted as a teenager during a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s "Today" program, which aired on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

The conversation took place during a discussion with BBC racing commentator John Hunt, who suffered an unimaginable loss when his wife Carol, 61, and daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were killed in a crossbow and knife attack in England in July 2024.

Louise Hunt’s ex-boyfriend, Kyle Clifford, 26, was later sentenced to life in prison.

During the broadcast, the Queen reflected on her own experience with striking honesty.

“When I was a teenager, I was attacked on a train. I'd sort of forgotten about it. But I remember at the time being so angry,” she recalled, according to a clip shared by the BBC.

She continued, “Somebody I didn't know. I was reading my book, and this boy – man – attacked me, and I did fight back.”

The Queen went on to describe the immediate aftermath of the assault, a moment that has remained vivid in her memory.

“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?’ ” she shared.

Although years passed, the emotional impact lingered. “I had been attacked, but I remember anger, and I was so furious about it, and it sort of lurked for many years,” Camilla added.

Her decision to speak publicly now was shaped by the broader context of the discussion and the stories of others who have suffered unimaginable harm.

“When 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 said.

The radio episode was recorded at Clarence House, where Queen Camilla invited John Hunt and his surviving daughter, Amy, as part of the UN International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The special program was guest edited by former U.K. Prime Minister Baroness Theresa May, who has long campaigned against domestic abuse.

Camilla’s appearance was not a spontaneous decision.

Her advocacy for survivors of rape, domestic violence, and sexual abuse has been a consistent part of her public work for years.

By sharing her own experience, she placed herself alongside those she has long sought to support, underscoring that abuse can touch anyone, regardless of background or status.

Although this marked the first time Queen Camilla publicly spoke about the assault herself, the story had previously been reported.

As noted by PEOPLE, the account first appeared in Valentine Low’s book "Power and the Palace," released in September.

An excerpt of the book previously published by The Times described early meetings between Camilla and then-London mayor Boris Johnson in 2008.

According to Guto Harri, Johnson’s communications director at the time, Camilla invited the newly elected mayor to Clarence House for an introductory meeting tied to his plan to open additional rape crisis centers in London.

Low wrote that “[The] serious conversation they had was about her being the victim of an attempted sexual assault when she was a schoolgirl.”

The journalist expanded on the encounter in striking detail.

He wrote, “She was on a train going to Paddington — she was about 16, 17 — and some guy was moving his hand further and further … ‘At that point Johnson had asked what happened next. She replied: ‘I did what my mother taught me to. I took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel.’ Harri said: ‘She was self-possessed enough when they arrived at Paddington to jump off the train, find a guy in uniform and say, ‘That man just attacked me’, and he was arrested.’”

Low also explained why the story carried such weight in the policy discussion at the time.

“The relevance of this conversation was that Johnson at the time wanted to open three rape crisis [centers]. There was already one in south London, and he wanted to open ones in east, west and north London,” he wrote. “Harri said: ‘I think she formally opened two out of three of them. Nobody asked why the interest, why the commitment. But that’s what it went back to.’”

Over the years, Queen Camilla has consistently used her platform to amplify the voices of survivors and advocate for systemic change.

Her compassion has extended beyond the United Kingdom. In March, it was revealed that she had privately reached out to Gisèle Pelicot to commend her for her “extraordinary dignity and courage.”

The Queen was described as being “tremendously affected” by a rape trial in southern France that concluded last year, in which Pelicot’s husband, Dominique, was found guilty of repeatedly drugging and raping his wife of 50 years.

A royal aide later explained the significance of that gesture.

“As a long-term supporter of survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, the Queen wrote to Madame Pelicot privately,” the aide told Newsweek. “It was very much her instigation and determination to write to express support from the highest level.”

By finally sharing her own painful memory, Queen Camilla has added a deeply human dimension to her advocacy.

What once “lurked for many years” is now part of a broader conversation, one that reflects both personal resilience and an unwavering commitment to ensuring others are heard, believed, and supported.