Queen’s cousin faces jail time after pleading guilty to sexual assault

"He repeatedly assaulted the 26-year-old victim and tried to pull off her nightdress during the 20-minute attack"

A socialite cousin of Queen Elizabeth II is on trial for raping a woman in his ancestral home, Glamis Castle in Scotland, where the Queen Mother spent most of her childhood. According to BBC News, Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Simon Bowes-Lyon pleaded guilty to the charges in court on Tuesday. The alleged attack took place in Glamis Castle in February 2020. "The Earl of Strathmore, Simon Bowes-Lyon, forced his way into the sleeping woman's room during a weekend event he was hosting at Glamis Castle," reported the BBC. "He repeatedly assaulted the 26-year-old victim and tried to pull off her nightdress during the 20-minute attack." The court was told the victim "fled the castle the morning after the attack on 13 February last year and flew home to report the matter to police." Both Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police were involved in the investigation. If Bowes-Lyon is convicted he could face up to five years in prison. He was granted bail at Dundee Sheriff Court this week. His sentence was deferred and he has been placed on the sex offenders register. Outside court, the 34-year-old, who was cautioned by Durham Police last year for breaching Covid-19 guidelines said 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 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."