Why Camilla Parker Bowles Started A New Instagram Account

Following the fourth season of Netflix's series, The Crown, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, faced serious backlash after the show depicted their affair. The outpouring of support for the late Princess Diana spilled over onto the Clarence House social media accounts, with people adding comments like "Diana" alongside heart emojis. Eventually, they had to shut off the comments on their Twitter page, InStyle reports. But, it appears that things have died down enough for Parker Bowles to start a new account dedicated to a passion of hers: reading.

People reports that the Duchess of Cornwall's new page is called The Reading Room, and its goal is to "discover new books and meet the extraordinary people who create them," the page's bio states. Since one of her main endeavors is childhood literacy, Parker Bowles' campaign seems like an on-brand way to have some fun and share about the joys of reading. Per the Duchess' account, the first session is to begin on January 15th. 

The Duchess' new account already has 26,000 followers after only being made public a week ago, PureWow notes. One of her first posts includes a video discussion with author, Charlie Mackesy, about his book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It appears that discussions about books like these will be the main topic for book lovers all over the world.

Per Town & Country, following a challenging year in which her husband and mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, fell ill with coronavirus, it appears that books helped light the way for the Duchess of Cornwall. In a statement on Twitter, Parker Bowles wrote, "Ernest Hemingway, famously, once said 'There is no friend as loyal as a book.' In these challenging times when we are isolated from the ones we love, many of us are finding comfort in reading, to fire up our imaginations, to take us on journeys and to make us laugh."

This love of reading inspired her to release a list of book recommendations in April of 2020, People notes, as a way to help them cope with the pandemic. The royal family's website elaborates on Parker Bowles' reading habit, saying, "As an enthusiastic reader, The Duchess works to promote the benefits of reading both to children and adults. She often reads aloud to children, and has engaged with adult readers aiming to improve their reading skills." It continues, "She is Patron of a number of literacy charities, including the National Literacy Trust, Book Trust, First Story, the Wicked Young Writer's Awards and Beanstalk. Her Royal Highness has been an Honorary Judge for the BBC Radio 2 500 Words creative writing competition since 2016."

Between her royal duties and love of books, the Duchess of Cornwall certainly has her hands full. Check out her new Instagram page if you're looking for a new royally-approved read!