Queen Camilla made her first public appearance since the weekend revelation that she fought off a sexual assault as a teenager. The Queen toured the headquarters of disaster relief charity ShelterBox in Truro, Cornwall, appearing relaxed and smiling throughout the visit.
The Queen learned about the latest equipment used by the organisation she supports as patron. ShelterBox has helped more than three million people displaced by conflict, natural disasters and climate crisis in around 100 countries since its founding in 2000.
Sexual assault revelation details
The incident occurred when Camilla was travelling to London's Paddington station in the early 1960s. She reportedly did "what my mother taught me" and took off her shoe to fend off a man who groped her on the train.
The attack is detailed in the new book Power And The Palace: The Inside Story Of The Monarchy And 10 Downing Street by Valentine Low, a former royal reporter for The Times. Camilla has kept the incident private for decades, preferring to focus on supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Charity visit highlights
During her tour, the Queen was shown ShelterBox's green boxes and reflected on the charity's growth "from small beginnings". She noted: "Unfortunately you're needed more and more - that's the problem."
Camilla gave an impromptu speech during a plaque unveiling, joking about first encountering ShelterBox's work during an official visit to Pakistan. She said: "I can't believe it's 18 years since seeing the two good-looking Cornishmen come up in Pakistan after the earthquake there, I couldn't believe my eyes I thought 'what on earth are they doing' with a mule and a box on top?"
Potential positive impact
A source close to the Queen suggested the revelation could have beneficial outcomes. According to the source: "If some good comes of this publication, which is that the wider issues are discussed, it de-stigmatises the whole topic and empowers girls today to take action and seek help and to talk about it, then that's a good outcome."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
