New book alleges Queen Camilla fought off sex attacker on train as teenager with her shoe heel

A new book has claimed Queen Camilla was the victim of an attempted sexual assault as a teenager, which she fought off by striking her attacker with the heel of her shoe.

The account appears in Power and the Palace, a book by former Times royal correspondent Valentine Low, and was serialised in the Sunday Times. It recounts a story Camilla is said to have shared privately with Boris Johnson while he was mayor of London.

According to the book, Johnson later relayed the conversation to his then communications director, Guto Harri, around 2008. Harri recalled Johnson’s admiration for Camilla, noting that the pair “got on like a house on fire” during a meeting at Clarence House.

But beneath the pleasantries, Johnson said Camilla revealed a deeply personal story. She told him she had been about 16 or 17 years old, travelling alone on a train bound for Paddington, when a man began touching her.

Harri recounted Johnson’s version of the conversation: “She was on a train going to Paddington – she was about 16, 17 – and some guy was moving his hand further and further …”

When Johnson asked how she reacted, Camilla reportedly replied: “I did what my mother taught me to. I took off my shoe and whacked him in the nuts with the heel.”

The alleged incident did not end there. Harri said Camilla was “self-possessed enough” to leap off the train at Paddington, locate a man in uniform, and immediately report the attacker. According to the account, the man was then arrested.

The Queen, now 78, has long campaigned on issues surrounding domestic abuse and sexual violence. Her royal work has frequently highlighted the importance of supporting survivors and ensuring victims are not silenced.

In recent years, she has thrown her support behind initiatives offering practical assistance to those who have been assaulted. Among them was the creation of discreet washbags for victims, containing essentials and support information – a scheme she championed that has since been revived.

The revelation in Low’s book will resonate with her decades of advocacy. As Queen Consort, she has made tackling domestic and sexual violence one of her central causes, often using her platform to highlight survivors’ voices.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor Camilla herself has publicly commented on the account. However, the detail and framing of the anecdote suggest it was intended to demonstrate her resilience and strength, even from a young age.

The publication of Power and the Palace adds another layer to the public’s understanding of the Queen, whose role has shifted dramatically since King Charles ascended to the throne in 2022. While much of her work has focused on charitable patronage and supporting the monarchy, her advocacy in sensitive areas such as abuse has often set her apart.

Low’s book also seeks to shed light on the inner workings of the modern monarchy, exploring personal dynamics and the private histories of senior royals. The claim about Camilla’s teenage ordeal, however, is among the most striking revelations.

As the story spreads, campaigners hope it will bring fresh attention to the ongoing issues of harassment and assault faced by young women today. The Queen’s alleged experience, shared only in passing years later, underscores how even those in the highest positions of power can carry the memory of such trauma