Move over, Joe Rogan. Queen Camilla is taking to the airwaves.
The royal is launching a new podcast for book lovers this January. Fittingly titled The Queen’s Reading Room, the new series will spotlight renowned authors, delving into their earliest reading memories, most treasured tomes, and favorite writers.
“A place for book lovers—and those who wish they loved literature a little more—to be inspired by the bookish confessions of global literary heroes,” the organization writes.
The podcast stems from an initiative the queen launched in 2021. Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, created The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room to share reading recommendations during the pandemic.
“I think I’d like it to be something that everybody could delve into and find something that suited them and enjoy it,” the duchess said at the time. “I just think it’s because I love reading myself I think a lot of other people also get a huge amount of pleasure from it.”
The book club later became an official charity and was renamed The Queen’s Reading Room. It has since amassed some 167,000 followers on Instagram. The companion podcast was announced via Instagram last week, with the official trailer shared on Friday, December 15.
Her Majesty is not the only blue blood to have a podcast. Meghan Markle, a.k.a. the Duchess of Sussex, hosts Archetypes, while Princess Eugine co-hosts Floodlight with Julia de Boinville. Camilla will not host her podcast but will record a short segment for each weekly episode. Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room, will be the host and interview the authors. (Perrin has a wealth of experience in TV and Radio, with stints at the BBC and The Sunday Times.)
As you might expect, many industry heavyweights have been secured for the series, including actress Joanna Lumley of Absolutely Fabulous fame, British comedian David Baddiel, and Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin. Other guests include American authors Ann Patchett and Bonnie Garmus, as well as children’s writers Joseph Coelho and Frank Cottrell Boyce.
“This brand new series delves into the homes and hearts of the authors that we love the most,” the organization adds.
The first episode of The Queen’s Reading Room will be available on January 8, 2024.
