Queen Camilla was flooded with support as she revealed a man tried to grope her on a train when she was a teenager. The Queen appeared on a special Radio 4 Today programme alongside BBC racing commentator John Hunt, wife, Carol, and two daughters, Louise and Hannah, were murdered by Louise's ex-boyfriend in 2024. John was joined by his surviving daughter Amy, as well as former Prime Minister Theresa May and Emma Barnett.
The Queen was speaking during a discussion on violence against women where she shared her own experience of having to fight off a man who attacked her at Paddington Station in the 1960s. The incident took place while on her way to visit her mother, but she fought back by taking off her shoe and hitting him with it.
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She recalled: "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?' I was physically attacked but I remember anger, and I was so furious about it."
Queen Camilla's raw admission led viewers and listeners to praise her for sharing her own personal experience, marking a notable moment for the Royal Family in addressing gender-based violence.
Commenting on the interview on X, one wrote: "The old royal rule of never explaining has finally met its match in the Hunt family's courage, proving that even the most polished institutions eventually realize that shared vulnerability is far more powerful than a coordinated blue ensemble."
"What a truly remarkable and courageous story from the Queen," added a second as another echoed: "This is a confession that requires a great deal of courage."
A fourth shared: "Queen Camilla's decision to share her own story of assault on BBC Radio 4 today is a seismic moment for the Royal Family. By standing with John and Amy Hunt, she’s transforming a private tragedy into a powerful call for systemic change against gender-based violence."
The Queen said the memory of her own assault had been "lurking in the back of my brain for a very long time".
She continued: "When the subject of domestic abuse came up, and suddenly you hear a story like John and Amy’s, it’s something that I feel very strongly about."
After hearing the Queen’s story, Amy told her: "Thank you for sharing that, Your Majesty. It takes a lot to share these things because every woman has a story."