Queen's Cousin Simon Bowes-Lyon Leaves Prison Five Months into Sexual Assault Sentence

Queen Elizabeth's cousin Simon Bowes-Lyon, the current Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, has reportedly been released from a Scottish prison five months into a 10-month sentence.

Bowes-Lyon, 35, left HMP Perth last week, according to the Mirror.

This past January, Bowes-Lyon pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman staying at his ancestral home of Glamis Castle in Scotland. He was sentenced in February to 10 months in prison for the assault, which took place in February 2020.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael of the Dundee Sheriff Court handed down the sentence. The Sheriff initially concluded that the Earl's home was suitable for house arrest under the Restriction of Liberty Order, but ultimately decided that the sentence would be served in prison.

Bowes-Lyon was also placed on the sex offenders register in January.

In a statement provided to PEOPLE via a spokesperson in February, he said, "I am greatly ashamed of my actions which have caused such distress to a guest in my home. When I realized what I had done I apologized quickly to the woman concerned. I apologize wholeheartedly again today. I am deeply sorry for my behavior and the anguish it has caused."

He added, according to the Mirror, "I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.