Queen Camilla greeted ‘fellow bookworms’ to her third literary festival apologising croakily: ‘I’m sorry if my voice gives half-way through but as you can imagine I’ve been doing quite a lot of talking the last few days. I’ll try to hang onto it.’
Her Majesty was forced to pull out of attending the Duchess of Kent’s funeral service on Tuesday after suffering acute sinusitis, but managed to take part in this week’s high-profile State Visit by President Trump.
Actress Celia Imrie also asked Camilla, 77, how she was feeling, particularly after the pageantry at Windsor.
‘My voice, I think I’ve pushed it the last couple of days,’ coughed Camilla.
‘What else could you do? Well you had to,’ Imrie said.
‘I just hope it doesn’t fade,’ the Queen smiled.
The Queen’s Reading Room Festival, now in its third year, has taken up residence at stunning Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, one of the finest stately homes in the country.
After arriving the Queen meet women participating in one of the charity’s grassroots outreach programme and joined a discussion about the positive impact of reading on mental health with people supported by local domestic violence charity, The Elm Foundation, and neuroscientist, Professor Sam Wass.
Queen Camilla attends The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House in Bakewell, Derbyshire, today
Queen Camilla meets members of the public attending a showing of Pride and Prejudice on the lawns of Chatsworth House
Lord Burlington (left), and Queen’s Reading Room CEO Vicki Perrin (second left), watch as Queen Camilla views a selection of artefacts from the Jane Austen House museum
‘There’s nothing like a book to take you away,’ she said.
‘It helps so much with stress. You can shut yourself away with a book, it’s a safe space.’
Afterwards she met a line-up of literary stars including The Thursday Murder Club’s Richard Osman and watched a performance of Jane Austen’s work, as well as viewing.
In a short speech, Her Majesty referred to Jane Austen – born 250 years ago, and who took her inspiration for the fictitious Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice from Chatsworth – saying: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that books make life better.
‘They allow us to see through another’s eyes, they comfort and encourage us, make us laugh, make us cry and free us to travel the globe without stepping outside our front doors.
‘Moreover, scientific research by my Reading Room shows that books have significant benefits for both our brains and our emotions.
‘Our aim is to unlock their transformative power to create a healthier, happier and more connected world – a world I hope that even Lizzie Bennett would have approved of… ‘
She also celebrated the success of her online Reading Room, which started as a lockdown project in which she shared her nine favourite novels to inspire others to find solace in literature.
Queen Camilla places books in a donation point for The Queen’s Reading Room,
Gyles Brandreth and author Gill Hornby at The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House
Queen Camilla (centre) takes part in discussion about the positive impact of reading on mental health with people supported by local domestic violence charity The Elm Foundation
It is now an online community of over 180,000, with an annual audience of 12 million people from 183 countries.
She added: ‘This is our third festival, offering us the opportunity to celebrate the written word, to learn about the outstanding work of local charities and to spend time with our fellow bookworms.
‘I’m delighted that so many of you have joined us this evening at Chatsworth: writers, actors, publishers and readers… in fact everyone involved in the wonderful world of books.
‘Without you all we would not be here, so thank you.
‘And now, ladies and gentlemen, I know that we have plenty of treats in store. I shall therefore stop, in case William feels the need to interrupt me with a sardonic, ‘You have delighted us long enough’. ‘
The Queen’s Reading Room, launched by Her Majesty Queen Camilla in 2023, is a charity celebrating and promoting the transformative power of books in the UK and beyond.
The charity was born from an Instagram book club launched in the lockdown of 2021.
It seeks to promote the accessibility and joy of stories and storytelling with its free, educational content around books; as well as staging major festivals and events around the UK and internationally.
At a reception filled with the country’s greatest literary talents Queen Camilla greeted national icon Dame Jilly Cooper with a warm kiss on each cheek and chatted about the raunchy new streaming series of her hit bonkbuster, Rivals.
Queen Camilla gives a speech during The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House
Queen Camilla with Gyles Brandreth (left) at a reception for literary figures during The Queen’s Reading Room Festival
She told the author that her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles – the inspiration for Cooper’s handsome lothario Rupert Campbell-Black – and her daughter, Laura Lopes, had been thrilled to be invited to a party earlier this year at the writer’s Gloucestershire home with the cast.
‘They enjoyed your party. They love a bit of your Rivals. Everybody’s enjoyed your Rivals,’ the Queen said.
Speaking afterwards Dame Jilly said: ‘We chatted about how much we love each other. I’ve been very lucky. It’s lovely they all like it.
‘We’ve known each other a long time. We live near each other. Andrew is a wonderful man. Her Majesty and Andrew still get on so well. They are still great friends who are very fond of each other.’
Bridget Jones Helen Fielding, who was also at the reception, said: ‘Jilly was my inspiration.
‘Reading her in the Sunday Times, to find someone who is so funny in print is rare. My daughter’s generation is rediscovering Jilly.
‘And you know why? Because it has sex in it. That generation don’t have sex. They are re-discovering it.’
The Queen also bought along with her several bags with books to start a new The Queen’s Reading Room Book Donation point, which will be open to members of the public attending the sell-out festival.
All books donated will be distributed to The Elm Foundation service users, helping women who have experienced domestic abuse.
‘I’ve got several golden oldies,’ she said, as Her Majesty placed them in the book donation station.
Among them were Sebastian Faulk’s Charlotte Gray, Peter James’ Dead Simple, Robert Harris’ Archangel, Miss Austen and Still Life.
She also met members of the public who were arriving for a showing of Pride and Prejudice on the lawns of the House and were stunned to see her.
