A relative of Queen Elizabeth might be imprisoned for five years after he admitted that he sexually assaulted a woman in February 2020. Simon Bowes-Lyon, 34, is the great-great grandnephew of the Queen Mother and the cousin twice removed of Her Majesty.
Bowes-Lyon, also known as the 19th Earl of Strathmore, has been placed on the sex offender's list and is currently out on bail while awaiting his sentencing. He expressed that he's "greatly ashamed" for what he did to the victim during a drunken state.
The Queen's cousin also said that he's taking responsibility for his actions and has apologized to the woman he assaulted, as well as to her family and friends, according to the BBC. The judge has ordered an assessment of Glamis Castle as he could potentially be under house arrest.
During the hearing, the 26-year-old victim said that she was attacked in one of the Glamis Castle rooms, where Bowes-Lyon was hosting a weekend party. Court records showed that Bowes-Lyon reeked alcohol and cigarettes when he groped and tried to kiss the woman.
He apparently proposed to have an affair with her, but she resisted and tried to raise her voice so that the other guests would hear her struggle. She managed to push Bowes-Lyon out of the room, and when he tried to attack her a second time, a guest came to her rescue. She left the castle in the early morning to report the incident to Police Scotland.
Glamis Castle, Princess Margaret's birthplace, is the Queen Mother's childhood home and has been the Bowes-Lyon ancestral home in Dundee since 1372. Its former master, Michael Fergus Bowes-Lyon, was known as the head of the Queen's Scottish family. He died in 2016.
Before he became the Earl of Strathmore upon his father's death, Simon was known as Lord Glamis, according to Daily Mail. He inherited his father's $55 million (£40 million) fortune.
The news outlet also reported that this Simon had a brush with authorities in June 2020 when he violated Scotland's COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Queen's cousin left Glamis Castle to stay at his other home at the Holwick estate.
Witnesses told police that they spotted Simon in town despite strict orders barring Scotland locals from leaving their homes. He agreed to return to Glamis after the authorities accosted him.
In 2010, Simon was not allowed on the road for nine months for over speeding. Police records showed that he had 23 penalty points for the same offense.
