Queen Camilla Shared A Moment With Pop Music Royalty Before Presenting A Prestigious Award
Queen Camilla, wife of King Charles III of England, has begun fulfilling some of her new royal duties, and that includes attending prestigious awards ceremonies in London. On Monday, October 18, the queen consort attended The Booker Prize festivities, which celebrate the English-speaking world's top literary award, according to its website. The 75-year-old royal not only presented the Booker Prize for fiction to author Shehan Karunatilaka for "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida," but she mingled with a shortlist of authors and celebrities during a reception and dinner that coincided with the special event (via People).
Camilla Parker Bowles, who has long promoted literacy by visiting students, prisoners, and workplaces to discuss its benefits, launched an initiative called The Reading Room in 2021 after releasing book recommendations to encourage people to read during quarantine, People reported.
During the 2022 Booker Prize events, Camilla seemed to make a new friend — and it's one you might not expect.
Queen Camilla and Dua Lipa seemed happy to chat
While many authors and performers attended The Booker Prize festivities in London this week, multiple publications such as People noticed the queen consort seemed to hit it off with one popular musician — British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, who is known for hit songs such as "Levitating" and "New Rules," according to Billboard.
Smiling and chatting, the two women seemed at ease with one another, with many speculating they bonded over a shared love of reading. The 27-year-old pop star delivered the event's keynote speech, revealing it was her love of books and reading that helped inspire and elevate her career (per People).
While at the event, Queen Camilla was also seen having a friendly conversation with "The Crown" actress Natascha McElhone, the Daily Mail reported. McElhone plays Prince Philip's mysterious friend Penny Knatchbull in Season 5 of the Netflix series. This week's ceremony and events marked the first time in three years they've been held in person.