The Queen had a busy Thursday on her first day back at engagements after testing positive for Covid-19 early in February. Her Majesty launched her new charity, The Queen’s Reading Room.
At a Clarence House reception that was meant to happen last week, Queen Camilla announced that her online book club is now a registered charity. On the charity’s official website, RoyalReadingRoom.UK, she outlines the charity’s goals:
“The Queen’s Reading Room is a charity working to provide opportunities for the appreciation of literature among adults and children in the UK and around the world. We seek to advance education by closing the gap between writers and readers through accessible, educational and free literary content available year-round. Our purpose is to help more people find and connect with books which enrich their lives and turn them into lifelong readers.”
The Royal Reading Room was first launched in January 2021 on Instagram and provided a new list of book recommendations each season for followers to enjoy. The Instagram page featured author interviews, insights, and further recommendations.
The Queen’s Reading Room will also be hosting an annual literary festival. The first festival will be held at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey on 11 June. Ticket holders can hear talks and see performances from notable authors and performers, including David Olusoga, Gyles Brandreth, Ken Follet, and Dame Judi Dench. There will also be literary-themed tours happening at Hampton Court Palace.
Dench has narrated the video shared on social media to highlight festival plans.
More information and tickets will be released at the beginning of March, with a complete list of authors attending. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to The Queen’s Reading Room and Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). Anyone interested can sign up for The Queen’s Reading Room newsletter to receive more information.
HRP is a charitable organisation that cares for six properties: Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Kew Gardens, Banqueting House, and Hillsborough Castle.
