Queen Camilla's Personal Library Is Overflowing (And Her Taste In Books Is Totally Relatable)

In addition to Queen Camilla's many untold truths, one thing you may not know about her is that she is very passionate about reading. Camilla loves books and fosters literacy with her charity The Queen's Reading Room. Founded in early 2021, the goal of The Queen's Reading Room is to create more readers and connect writers and readers. 

Camilla, alongside the charity's board, recommends books while their website also includes extra content about both their choices and the writing process itself. The Reading Room works closely with libraries to keep each batch of suggested reads available for free too. Vicki Perrin, director of The Queen's Reading Room, was interviewed by OK! magazine and offered a fascinating glimpse into the queen consort's personal library. 

According to Perrin, her living room is rife with stacks of books all over, on every available surface, and even on the floor. As for what she generally likes to read, "[Camilla] loves a good crime thriller as much as she loves a romance, as much as she loves the classics" (via the Daily Mail).

The book recommendations from Queen Camilla and her team at The Queen's Reading Room span multiple genres. There are classics, mysteries, romances, nonfiction, and lots more. Camilla releases four official book recommendations a season. The charity also releases weekly recommendations and Camilla's special interlude recommendation of a novel, play, children's book, cookbook, or any other kind of book for readers to enjoy while waiting for the next season's list. 

For World Book Day in 2022, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, recommended five children's books to the charity, which aligns with Kate's planned first move when she becomes queen: helping kids. For the first time ever, The Queen's Reading Room is hosting a festival at Hampton Court Palace. On June 11, 2023, readers can go to the event to enjoy performances, readings, and discussions on writing. Dame Judi Dench is even set to appear for a discussion on Shakespeare.

Another book charity that works specifically with children and young adults in the U.K. to get them reading more is BookTrust. They choose a Waterstones Children's Laureate every two years to be a spokesperson for the world of children's literature and, for World Book Day 2023, Queen Camilla sat down with 2022-2024 Waterstones Children's Laureate, poet, and children's book author Joseph Coelho. 

The duo discussed their favorite books as children, with Camilla sharing a few cherished stories, such as "Black Beauty" and "Swiss Family Robinson." She informed Coelho that she and her siblings used to pretend to be stranded just like the family in the latter book. They also talked about the bonding experience Camilla has with her grandchildren when she reads to them. In fact, this activity has sparked a love of books in her grandchildren.

"It is really nice when you see the pure enjoyment that children are getting out of reading," Camilla gushed to Coelho. "If you get that at a very early age, it's going to help you so much in future life, because the earlier you read, the more you're going to understand ... about different places, different cultures, different ways of life, different everything," (via YouTube).