Queen Camilla visited Chatsworth House in Derbyshire to open the first day of the festival for the Queen’s Reading Room, a charity she established following the success of her Instagram book club during the pandemic. During the event, the Queen spoke about the "life-enhancing power" of books, noting the significant growth of her initiative over the past six years. She described the project as a global community of millions across more than 180 countries that exchanges recommendations and supports charitable causes, including donations to homeless shelters and women’s refuges. In those early days, she admitted she had no idea if anyone would be interested in the concept.
The Queen’s remarks occurred against the backdrop of a growing controversy surrounding a new memoir by Earl Spencer about the life of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. The memoir contains several allegations against King Charles, which prompted an "unprecedented" statement from Buckingham Palace noting that "the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason." Spencer, speaking to the Mail on Sunday, rejected this characterization and accused the King of "gaslighting." He further stated that the palace's response was "astonishingly provocative and below the belt" and suggested that "Diana would be cheering from the rafters at this book." He added that it was a poor imitation of the "recollections may vary" quote, which he deemed more elegant but still out of place.
The BBC is expected to air a full interview with Spencer on Sunday.
During the festival, the Queen participated in a discussion alongside broadcaster Gyles Brandreth and journalist Reeta Chakrabarti, where she shared her autumn book recommendations: Finding Belle by Chakrabarti, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Whistler by Ann Patchett, and Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore. She also attended a reception in the Sculpture Gallery with authors including Elif Shafak and Jack Reacher novelist Lee Child.
Camilla is also set to appear in a forthcoming BBC Arts documentary, The Book That Changed My Life, scheduled to air on October 14 on BBC Two. During the festival, she spoke with Ian Kirby, a contributor to the documentary from Gateshead. Kirby shared his personal journey of overcoming depression through a local book club and reading the autobiography of boxer Glenn McCrory, highlighting how books can provide inspiration and new perspectives. The documentary, which was initially announced in March, will examine scientific evidence regarding the benefits of reading for health and wellbeing.
Camilla will also feature in the BBC Arts programme The Book That Changed My Life, which is due to air next month as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.
