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Don’t mess with Queen Camilla.
The wife of King Charles III fought off a groper as a teenager by taking off her shoe and bashing the assailant in the groin. The account comes from royal author Valentine Low, a former royal correspondent for The Times of London, who has written a new book titled “Power and the Palace.”
According to an excerpt, Camilla was on a train to London’s Paddington Station in the mid-1960s when a man next to her reached out and tried to touch her. The now-78-year-old told former Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the attack when he was mayor of London, the Associated Press reported.
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Queen Camilla’s experience as a teenager in London would go on to impact her work as the wife of King Charles III. (Daniel Leal – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Camilla said, ‘I did what my mother told me, I took my shoe off and whacked him in the nuts with the heel,’” Low told the BBC. “When she got to Paddington, this, in a way, is the crucial bit of the story: she found a man in uniform, told him what had happened, and the man was arrested.”
“She did the responsible thing,” Low added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. The Associated Press reported that the palace declined to comment on the report.
Queen Camilla has not publicly spoken out about Valentine Low’s story. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Low said the story was shared with him by Guto Harri, Johnson’s former communications director. Harri believes the incident is why Camilla supports charities that work with victims of domestic violence.
“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,” said Harri, as quoted by The Guardian.
Camilla would have been 16 or 17 at the time.
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Queen Camilla is seen here speaking with Boris Johnson in 2011. (Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
The story was reportedly shared with Johnson, now 61, after Camilla learned he planned to open three rape crisis centers in London. The conversation took place at Clarence House, the king’s longtime residence.
Low noted that Camilla has been reluctant to speak publicly about the experience because she feels that, while upsetting, it’s less serious than the attacks suffered by other women and girls.
“She didn’t want to draw attention to herself at the expense of their experiences,” said Low.
Queen Camilla and King Charles III were crowned in May 2023. (P van Katwijk/Getty Images)
Since marrying the king in 2005, Camilla has become patron or president of more than 100 charities, according to Buckingham Palace’s official website. One of her primary causes includes supporting survivors of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.
Last year, Camilla hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to recognize supporters of survivors of sexual assault, People reported. The event also marked the relaunch of the Wash Bags Project, which provides toiletries to those impacted by rape and abuse.
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“Each one of you has a powerful story to tell: whether you work in this country or overseas; whether you are based in a refuge, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, a charity, Parliament, or — most important of all — you are a survivor,” Camilla said at the event, as quoted by People. She was addressing staff, police officers and other guests.
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Queen Camilla is shown wash bags as she hosts a reception recognizing those who support survivors of sexual assault at Buckingham Palace on May 1, 2024. The kit provides toiletries, donated by Boots, to people who have been affected by rape and sexual abuse after they have undergone forensic examination. (EAMONN M. MCCORMACK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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In 2024, she also appeared in a TV documentary titled “Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors,” which showed her working to support organizations that help survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
“Power and the Palace” will be published later this month. The book explores the relationship between the monarchy and Britain’s political leaders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.