Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of violence, assault, and r—. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
Queen Camilla recently sat down for a conversation with John Hunt, who lost his wife and two children to a crossbow attack, and his surviving daughter, Amy, at BBC Radio’s Today programme.
Upon learning about the tragic murders of Hunt’s immediate family, Camilla opened up about a tragedy of her own. For the first time ever, the Queen publicly shared the unfortunate moment when she was assaulted as a teenager.
She recalled the incident from years ago and revealed how an unknown individual attacked her on a train. While the Queen initially mentioned she had nearly “forgotten” about the incident, she remembered the ordeal while discussing about the Hunt family’s tragic fate.
“When people pass away, the love still stays.”
John and Amy Hunt remember their loved ones Carol, Louise and Hannah, who were murdered by Louise’s ex-partner in 2024.
They met the Queen to discuss on violence against women as part of Baroness May’s guest edit. pic.twitter.com/jmOEV7kOOS
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) December 31, 2025
Speaking to the Hunt family, Camilla claimed this incident had been “lurking” at the back of her mind for a very long time. Without divulging much about her actual age at the time, she revealed, “I was attacked on a train, and I’d sort of forgotten about it…”
Although she claimed not to remember the exact details of what happened, she didn’t forget the “anger” she felt at the time. “I remember at the time being so angry,” Camilla revealed.
The Queen also wondered why she was targeted by her assailant, whom she described as a man, unsure about whether he was young or old.
According to the Queen’s account, she was reading a book when when assailant struck her without any reason. In that moment, she recalled fighting back for her safety, saying, “I did fight back.”
Presumably, her assailant escaped after the queen seemingly put up quite the fight against him. After the assault, she remembered getting off the train and greeting her mother, who was surprised by her daughter’s appearance.
Queen Camilla has officially arrived in Swindon to visit a domestic abuse support service and the town is buzzing! pic.twitter.com/HVfkSPRHVw
— Sarah Dalton (@sarahjanesname) January 22, 2024
The Queen highlighted her mother’s concerns in seeing her daughter dishevelled, saying, “Why is your hair standing up on its end, and why is your button missing from your coat?”
Camilla immediately filled her mother in on the attack and reiterated feeling “furious” and “angry” at what had happened to her. King Charles’ wife further claimed the topic of domestic abuse and the Hunt murders is what triggered her memories of assault.
“I was so furious about it and… 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 added.
On July 9, 2024, the Hunt family’s life changed forever when their loved ones were brutally murdered. Those deceased were John’s wife, Carol, and two of their three daughters, Hannah and Louise. The three Hunt family members were killed in cold blood by Carol’s ex-boyfriend, Kyle Clifford.
According to official reports, Clifford stabbed Carol when she had just let him inside her home. Next, he attacked Louise, gagged, and r—- her for hours. After which Clifford shot Louise with a crossbow at the back of her head. Her sister Hannah, sadly, met the same fate.
Clifford was given life sentence on March 11, 2025, for the murders of 61-year-old Carol, 28-year-old Hannah, and 25-year-old Louise Hunt. He was also convicted of Louise’s r—.
