Queen’s cousin Simon Bowes-Lyon jailed for breaking into woman’s room and groping her

Dramatic pictures show the Queen’s cousin led away in handcuffs, jailed over a horrific attack on a sleeping female guest in his castle.

The Queen’s cousin has been jailed for breaking into a woman’s room and groping her.

Simon Bowes-Lyon, 34, forced his way in while the victim was asleep during an event he was hosting at his ancestral home Glamis Castle in Scotland.

He pushed her nightdress up and branded her a “rude, mean, bad and horrible person” when she confronted him.

Simon Bowes-Lyon, the Earl of Strathmore (right) leaves court in handcuffs after being sentenced to jail for 10 months for sexually assaulting a woman. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Gett

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He also grabbed her inappropriately and told her he wanted an affair during the 20-minute attack.

Bowes-Lyon, Earl of Strathmore, is a great-great nephew of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. He was today jailed for 10 months after previously pleading guilty to the attack in February last year at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Alistair Carmichael told the court: “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.”

Simon Bowes-Lyon described himself as a ‘farmer’ to police. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

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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.

The court was told the attack took place after a black-tie dinner at the 6700 hectare Glamis Castle, where Princess Margaret was born.

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”.

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.

Bowes-Lyon is a cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Getty

“She went into the ensuite 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 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.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission