Queen Camilla is joining the world of podcasts.
Back in 2021, Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, launched a new initiative called The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room, a book club born out of sharing 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,” she 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 initiative became an official charity, and renamed The Queen’s Reading Room, and now, there will be a companion podcast—joining the genre of book podcasts and following in the footsteps of other royal women, including Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie, who have their own podcasts.
“The Queen’s Reading Room Podcast is 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 posted. “Authors from all over the world have shared their own literary treasures with us; revealing their favourite writers, most treasured books and earliest reading memories. Who does Sir Ian Rankin read when he is low? Where does David Baddiel stash his fiction and which masterpiece has Ann Patchett given up on again and again? This brand new series delves into the homes and hearts of the authors that we love the most.”
Queen Camilla will not host, instead, Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room will be interviewing authors. Camilla, however, will appear on the podcast. “There is nothing quite like a brilliant book recommendation from a friend, but it’s even better when that person is one of your favourite authors or most admired persons. I hope that this podcast will inspire listeners to new literary adventures and help those wishing to love books a little more, find the books which set their imaginations alight,” Perrin said.
The first episode drops on January 8, 2024.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
