THE Queen’s cousin is facing jail for a violent sex attack after breaking into a woman’s room and groping her.
Simon Bowes-Lyon, 34, made his way into the woman’s bedroom while she was asleep during an event he was hosting at his ancestral home Glamis Castle.
The drink-fuelled assault, which latest more than 20 minutes, included Bowes-Lyon repeatedly grabbing his victim inappropriately.
He also told his victim, aged in her 20s, that he wanted to have an affair with her.
Bowes-Lyon, who is the Queen’s cousin twice removed, also allegedly tried to pull up her night dress, push her up against the wall and grope her.
The 34-year-old then called the victim a “rude, mean, bad and horrible person,” while telling her that she couldn’t tell him what to do in his own home.
He returned and attempted to get back into the bedroom again after the victim finally kicked him out.
Bowes-Lyon admitted to a charge of sexual assault at Dundee Crown Court yesterday.
He faces up to five years in prison for the offence, which happened on February 13 last year.
The aristocrat was granted bail yesterday, and placed on the sex offenders register as his sentence was deferred for reports.
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael also ordered that Glamis Castle – where Princess Margaret was born and where the Queen Mother spent her childhood – should be assessed for its suitability for a tagging order.
SERIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT
Known as Sam, Bowes-Lyon is a great-great nephew of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
The multi-millionaire landowner, who walked behind Prince William at the Queen Mother’s funeral cortege as a 15-year-old, described himself as a farmer to police.
He admitted to repeatedly pushed his victim on to a bed, intimately grabbing her and repeatedly trying to pull off her nightdress during the event at the 16,500-acre estate last year.
Bowes-Lyon issued an apology as he left court: “I am greatly ashamed of my actions which have caused such distress to a guest in my home.
“Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident.
“As someone who is only too well aware of the damage that alcohol can cause, I should have known better.
“I recognise, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behaviour.
“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 apologise to family, friends and colleagues for the distress I have caused them.”
On the second night of events at the Castle, there was a black-tie dinner and, after the woman went to bed, Bowes-Lyon carried on drinking before arriving uninvited at her room at 1.20am.
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said: “She was asleep and was woken by knocking at the door.”
She said Bowes-Lyon told the woman: “It’s Sam. It’s important. Please let me in.
‘ALCOHOL IS NO EXCUSE’
“She thought something was wrong so she got up. It was pitch black. The second she opened the door he pushed his way in and pushed her on to the bed.
“He was very drunk and smelled of cigarettes. He told her he wanted to have an affair. He tried to pull her nightdress up.
“She went into the en suite to get away but the accused followed her, stopped her closing the door, and lit a cigarette. She squeezed past and went back to the bedroom.
“She raised her voice in the hope that another guest would hear her.
“She panicked because she did not know the layout of the castle. She had no signal.
“He refused to leave. He got into bed and began pulling at her. She had to keep pushing him off.”
The woman fled the castle in the morning and flew home to immediately report the matter to police – with both Police Scotland and the Met Police involved in the probe.
Bowes-Lyon emailed an apology to the woman after the ordeal.
His barrister, John Scott QC, said: “He is truly sorry for what he accepts was shameful conduct.”
The 34-year-old was named one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors by Tatler in 2019.
As the 19th and 6th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, he was styled Lord Glamis until his father’s death in 2016.
