Queen Camilla has reportedly revealed that she was sexually assaulted as a teenager while travelling on a train to Paddington – and that she fought off her attacker using a  high-heeled shoe.

The alleged incident, which took place when she was just 16 or 17 years old, is detailed in Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy and 10 Downing Street, a forthcoming book by royal author Valentine Low. According to the account, Camilla confided in Boris Johnson during a private meeting in 2008, shortly after he became Mayor of London.

“She did what my mother taught me to,” she is quoted as saying in the book. “Some guy was moving his hand further and further,” before she removed her  high heel and hit the man with it.

While the Queen has never publicly shared the experience, sources close to her say she has spoken of it privately with trusted friends and individuals she has worked with in her campaigning on domestic and sexual abuse. However, they emphasise she has never considered her own story central to her advocacy.

“Her experience, alas, was as familiar to many women then as it is, sadly, today. And clearly, totally unacceptable,” a source close to Her Majesty told the Mail.

“But she has never wanted to equate what she went through as a young woman with the stories that so many victims and survivors have had the courage to share with her over her past decade of campaigning on the issue.

“This is not because of any sense of shame. It simply happened a very long time ago and she dealt with it. She has always taken the view that other women’s stories are much more important than her own.”

Friends of the Queen are said to be clear that the incident was not a catalyst for her public work, but they believe it may have deepened her understanding of the trauma others have faced.

While the disclosure of the incident was never her intention, a source said Queen Camilla accepts its publication if it helps raise awareness: “If reading about her own experience helps other women, then in the circumstances she would consider that a positive outcome.”

The revelation comes amid growing attention on Queen Camilla’s ongoing advocacy on domestic abuse and violence against women. She has made these issues a cornerstone of her public life, recently speaking candidly in an ITV documentary Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors about the “invisible menace” of domestic abuse and how it can slowly entrap victims.

“You can imagine how terrifying it is for a woman to be stuck with a very violent partner, feeling that fear every single day,” she said in the film, which follows her work over the course of a year.

Speaking about the nature of abuse, she added: “One of the most difficult things about domestic abuse, to understand, it’s not the bruises and the black eyes, which, unfortunately you see, through violence, this is something that creeps up very slowly and, far too often, it ends up with women being killed.”

Queen Camilla’s work in this field has included support for survivors, as well as collaborations with organisations helping those still trapped in abusive situations. She has often highlighted the hidden complexities that keep victims in danger, especially when children are involved.

In one particularly emotional encounter featured in the programme, Her Majesty meets Diana Parkes, the mother of Joanna Simpson, who was killed by an abusive partner. Reflecting on their conversation, Camilla said: “I think she’s so strong, because not many people would be able to survive the death of their daughter. I admire her more than I can say.”

While her own story remained private until now, Queen Camilla’s work has consistently elevated the voices of others, and this latest revelation appears to underline the depth of her empathy and resolve.