Queen Camilla has paid tribute to BBC racing commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy for their remarkable bravery in the wake of the brutal murders of his wife, Carol, and two daughters, Louise and Hannah, by Louise's former partner. During a candid conversation with John and Amy Hunt, Queen Camilla disclosed for the first time her own harrowing experience of an attempted indecent assault during her teenage years. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, guest edited by former Prime Minister Baroness Theresa May, the Queen revealed she felt 'angry' and 'furious' after recalling the attack, which was initially reported in a book earlier in the year.
She mentioned she had "sort of forgotten" the incident but was moved to speak about it after witnessing the courage of the Hunt family. Describing the day of the attack, she said, 'I did fight back' against the perpetrator, whom she referred to as a 'boy - man'. The discussion, hosted by the Today programme's Emma Barnett and held at Clarence House, was part of a broader dialogue focused on combatting sexual and domestic violence, emphasizing the significance of sharing personal experiences.
The Queen recounted the assault, which occurred while she was traveling on a train, and how her mother noticed her disheveled appearance upon arrival at their meeting: 'Why is your hair standing on end and why is the button missing from your coat?' This prompted her to recount how she had been attacked. She expressed her strong feelings on the subject of domestic abuse after learning about the Hunt's story.
The assault on the young Camilla, aged 16 or 17 at the time, came to light in 'Power and the Palace,' a book by former royal editor Valentine Low. After the incident, the teenage Camilla defended herself by striking the man with her shoe, subsequently reporting him to station staff, leading to his arrest. Despite the story surfacing earlier, Buckingham Palace initially made no official comment. In response to Queen Camilla's story, Amy Hunt expressed gratitude, acknowledging the difficulty in sharing such personal experiences.
The interview also highlighted the Hunt family's resilience and commitment to honoring the memories of Carol, Louise, and Hannah, who tragically lost their lives to Kyle Clifford during a violent attack at their Hertfordshire home in July 2024. John Hunt spoke about the continuing struggle of coping with the loss, emphasizing the need to find strength daily: 'You have to try and find the strength in our position to arm yourself with as many tools as possible that are going to help you get through that next hour.'
Along with Hunt, Baroness May and Queen Camilla stressed the importance of education for ensuring women's safety and voiced concerns about the unchecked online radicalization of young men. 'It's somewhat allowed to run rampant,' said Amy Hunt regarding social media, cautioning that young men often seek guidance online when they lack 'the best examples in life.'