Queen Elizabeth’s family have found themselves embroiled in yet another scandal as a relative of hers has plead guilty to sexual assault.
The BBC reported that Simon Bowes-Lyon, the 34 year-old current Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, plead guilty on Thursday to sexually assaulting a 26 year-old woman at his ancestral home of Glamis Castle in Scotland last February. The Queen Mother, who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth, grew up at Glamis Castle, as it was her childhood home.
During a sentencing hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court, his sentence was deferred and he was given bail. However, he was also placed on the sex offender list and will be facing up to five years in prison in the future. After the hearing, Bowes-Lyon said outside of the court that he was “greatly ashamed” of his actions.
“Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident. I should have known better. I recognize, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behavior,” he said. “I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.
“My apologies go, above all, to the woman concerned, but I would also like to apologize to family, friends and colleagues for the distress I have caused them,” Bowes-Lyon added.
The Daily Record reported that Bowes-Lyon had been hosting an event at Glamis Castle, where his ancestors have resided since 1372, on the night of the sexual assault. He allegedly forced his way into the victim’s room, tried to pull off her nightgown, groped her and proceeded to assault her for over twenty minutes.
“She was asleep and was woken by knocking at the door,” said fiscal depute Lynne Mannion, who added. that Bowes-Lyon told the woman, “It’s important. Please let me in.”
“She got up,” Mannion added. “The second she opened the door he pushed his way in and pushed her onto the bed. He was very drunk and smelled of cigarettes. He told her he wanted to have an affair.”
During the assault, the woman began to scream in the hopes of someone hearing her, but Bowes-Lyon pushed her on the bed instead and said, “I’m going to f— you.” He then allegedly called the victim “a rude, mean, bad and horrible person” who could not tell him what to do in his own home.
Finally, the woman was able to get Bowes-Lyon out of the room, at which time she reached out to her boyfriend for help. Bowes-Lyon tried to get back into her room, but another guest was able to stop him. The guest said the woman was “distressed,” and when he tried to confront Bowes-Lyon about the assault, the aristocrat had fallen asleep. The woman fled the castle the next morning and alerted police.
Bowes-Lyon was a great-great nephew of the Queen Mother, who died in 2002 at the age of 101.
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.