A relative of the Queen who admitted sexually assaulting a woman at his castle has been released from jail.

Simon Bowes-Lyon, 35, the Earl of Strathmore, served half his sentence before he was freed from HMP Perth last week.

Bowes-Lyon, the son of a cousin of the Queen, forced himself on a guest who was staying at Glamis Castle in Angus, his ancestral home in February 2020.

The victim was attending a three-day public relations event and had gone to bed when a ‘drunk’ Bowes-Lyon went to her room at around 1.20am, Dundee Sheriff Court heard during the trial in February this year.

He persuaded her to open the door before pushing her on the bed and sexually assaulting her in a 20-minute ordeal.

The terrified woman managed to get Bowes-Lyon out of the room but he tried to come back in a second time.

His victim locked the bedroom door and wedged a chair under the handle to prevent him getting back in and was ‘upset and afraid’ and ‘left shaking’, the court heard.

She was still suffering from nightmares and panic attacks at the time of the trial earlier this year.

Bowes-Lyon was sentenced to 10 months in prison due to the ‘force, aggression and persistence’ used in the arrack.

In a statement outside court, 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 but acknowledged it was ‘no excuse’ for his actions.

He 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.

‘This has involved seeking and receiving professional help as well as agreeing to plead guilty as quickly as possible.’

Glamis Castle, a 16,500-acre estate, is the seat of the earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, part of the late Queen Mother’s family.

Bowes-Lyon, who is a multi-millionaire landowner, described himself as a ‘farmer’ to police.

Known for his love of fast cars and holidays with reality TV stars, he was named one of the UK’s ‘most eligible bachelors’ by Tatler in 2019.

A spokesman for Strathmore Estates declined to comment.

A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said it did not comment on individual cases.

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