Queen Camilla has highlighted the transformative role of literature when she went to The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. She appeared at the literary gathering and stressed the way books are helpful for comfort, for conversation and for bringing people together as people in the UK were attracted to Earl Spencer’s new memoir about his sister Diana, Princess of Wales and the Royal Family’s place in the spotlight.
Camilla has made reading a major part of her public work in recent years. At the festival she spoke about the “life-enhancing power” of books and thought about the journey of The Queen’s Reading Room, which began in the pandemic as an Instagram-based book club before becoming a larger literary organisation.
We have now expanded the programme to an international community with millions of readers worldwide and books in over 180 countries. It has also brought books to women’s refuges and homeless shelters as well as giving on the internet and donating to women’s refuges. The project is in line with Camilla’s long-standing mission to promote the social and emotional benefits of reading.
Queen Camilla Announces New Reading Room Book Picks
The Chatsworth event also included Camilla unveiling four titles for the fall 2026 season at The Queen’s Reading Room. The selected titles include Reeta Chakrabarti’s "Finding Belle", Oscar Wilde’s classic "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and Ann Patchett’s "Whistler" and Simon Sebag Montefiore’s "Sashenka".
Lee Child and Elif Shafak both attended the festival as well as many of the top writers and literary figures. They showed the festival’s focus on the authors, readers and literary fans being present.
For Camilla the festival was another way to reinforce the idea that books can help people in their everyday lives. Literature is still at the heart of The Queen’s Reading Room’s mission - from escorting people through hard times to understanding what other people’s experiences are like.
Earl Spencer’s Diana Memoir Draws Royal Attention
Camilla’s comments on the positive influence of books came on the same day that Earl Spencer’s memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister", was published. It is about Spencer’s relationship with Diana and his reflections on her death and funeral.
The memoir has attracted much attention because of some passages about King Charles III. One of the claims that has been made publicly is Spencer’s memory of an alleged conversation with Charles after Diana’s death. Spencer has said he was able to recall remarks that were made during a dispute, like Charles saying Diana would be forgotten.
The claims were put forward by Buckingham Palace but generally they were not mentioned in books written about members of the Royal Family. The Palace said the King was aware grief could influence a person’s “reason”, “judgment” and memory. Spencer has denied that characterisation of his story and has not backed off about his recollections.
Camilla did not refer to the memoir or its claims in her speech at Chatsworth. She was more concerned with reading and the wider work of The Queen’s Reading Room, she said.
Books Can Preserve Memories And Personal Stories
The difference between Camilla’s literary appearance and Spencer’s memoir illustrates the many different roles books can play. Literature can provide entertainment and escapism, but memoirs can also be an account of personal experiences and thoughts about significant events.
Spencer’s book is his personal account of his relationship with Diana and his memories of a period that still stirs up much interest decades later. Just as in any memoir, its memories represent the author’s perspective, while responses by other parties can offer a different interpretation of disputed events.
Camilla’s Reading Room, too, aims to increase the accessibility of literature and opportunities for people to share their experiences through books. And the growth of the organisation is a testimony to how a pandemic-era online book club mushroomed into a global literary community.
Camilla’s Reading Mission Continues
Camilla is also expected to look at the personal effects of reading in the forthcoming BBC Arts programme, *The Book That Changed My Life*. People who have read books and how literature can give hope, companionship and new perspectives in difficult times are going to be included in it.
It will be broadcast on BBC Two on October 14 as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.
Camilla’s continuing attention to reading is part of a larger public mission to encourage people to read books. Earl Spencer’s memoir shows how literature can help to preserve painful personal memories and reopen conversations about the past, and therefore The Queen’s Reading Room presents another side of publishing, one that is about connection, discovery and the long-term impact of stories on readers.
