THE Queen’s shamed cousin joked about being the “Monster of Glamis” the night before he carried out a vile sex attack at his castle.
Simon Bowes-Lyon forced his way into the room where the victim was sleeping during an event he was hosting at his ancestral home Glamis Castle in Scotland.
Simon Bowes-Lyon, 34, has been jailed after a violent sexual assault at an event he was hosting at Glamis Castle
The aristocrat forced his way into the woman’s room
The 34-year-old is the Queen’s cousin twice removed
The 34-year-old pushed her nightdress up and branded her a “rude, mean, bad and horrible person” when she confronted him.
He also grabbed her inappropriately and told her he wanted an affair during the 20-minute attack.
Bowes-Lyon was yesterday jailed for ten months after previously pleading guilty to the attack in February last year at Dundee Sheriff Court.
The Earl of Strathmore is a great-great nephew of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
He had been hosting a PR weekend for a string of guests, who enjoyed helicopter rides, shooting and tours of the castle.
But the night before the sick attack, Bowes-Lyon joked about his dark side and told him he was the “Monster of Glamis”, The Telegraph reports.
The grim legend dates back to the 19th century and tells of a child hidden away by his family in the castle in a secret chamber.
The attack took place the next night after a black-tie dinner at the 16,500-acre Glamis Castle, where Princess Margaret was born.
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael said: “She was afraid to the extent that she locked the door and wedged a chair under the handle. She was left shaking.
“Even now, one year on, she still has nightmares and feels panic because of being sexually assaulted by you. It was made worse that you were her host.
“You assaulted her in the face of repeated protestations to stop and you repeatedly prevented the complainer from getting away. The force, aggression and persistence you used are concerning.
“The sentence must reflect the gravity of this crime and the need for punishment to adequately express society’s disapproval.”
Bowes-Lyon pictured behind Prince William and Harry at the Queen Mother’s funeral
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 pushing his victim on to a bed, intimately grabbing her and repeatedly trying to pull off her nightdress.
Bowes-Lyon had been drinking until 1.20am when he made his way uninvited into her room.
She woke up to him knocking at her door claiming he needed to come in as it was “important”.
The Earl was led away in handcuffs
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said previously: “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.”
‘GREATLY ASHAMED’
Even after the victim managed to get Bowes-Lyon out of the bedroom, he returned and attempted to force his way in for a second time.
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.
In a statement outside court after pleading guilty last month, Bowes-Lyon apologised and said he is “greatly ashamed of my actions which have caused such distress to a guest in my home”.
He said he had “drunk to excess” on the night of the attack, which he said was “no excuse” for his actions.
The aristocrat added: “I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.
“Over the last year this has involved seeking and receiving professional help as well as agreeing to plead guilty as quickly as possible.
“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.”
Bowes-Lyon 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.
He admitted to assaulting the woman at Glamis Castle, his ancestral home
The aristocrat apologised to his victim
He said he was greatly ashamed of his actions
