Queen Camilla welcomed guests to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire on Saturday for the fourth edition of The Queen’s Reading Room Festival, delivering a speech that emphasized the unifying power of literature amid an ongoing public dispute involving Earl Charles Spencer’s forthcoming memoir about Princess Diana, according to Geo.tv.
The Queen, wearing a blue dress, was greeted with applause at the Grade I listed estate in the Peak District for the two-day literary event, which she founded after launching an Instagram book club during the pandemic. Addressing attendees in the Painted Hall, Camilla reflected on the initiative’s unexpected growth and its role in fostering a global community of readers.
“I created my Reading Room simply because, like all of us here, I love books and their life-enhancing power and I want to share that love with others,” she said. “In those early days, I had no idea if anybody would be interested but six years on, we are a global community of millions from over 180 countries, swapping recommendations, undertaking research and donating thousands of books to women’s refuges and homeless shelters”.
The Queen also invoked a proverb that some observers interpreted as a subtle reference to the royal family’s current tensions: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. She credited the Reading Room’s success to the support of writers, publishers, and readers alike.
Camilla’s appearance came as Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, continues to promote his memoir Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, scheduled for publication on September 22. The book has generated international headlines for its claims about King Charles, including an allegation that the then-Prince of Wales said “we’ll forget her soon enough” during a heated phone call about Prince William and Prince Harry walking in their mother’s funeral procession. Buckingham Palace issued an unusually sharp response, suggesting that grief can cloud “reason, judgment and memory”. Spencer has since defended his account, telling the BBC that he is “telling the truth” and accusing the Palace of “gaslighting”.
The Queen’s visit to Chatsworth, a house with a library of more than 17,000 books, also included meetings with local book clubs and the unveiling of her four autumn reading recommendations: Finding Belle by Reeta Chakrabarti, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Whistler by Ann Patchett, and Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Chakrabarti, a journalist and news presenter whose debut novel made the list, expressed surprise and gratitude upon learning of the selection.
Gyles Brandreth, a writer, broadcaster, and trustee of the charity, appeared alongside the Queen during the festival. Social media commentary linked Camilla’s friendship with Brandreth to the wider discussion surrounding Spencer’s memoir, though such posts do not establish the Queen’s views or intentions.
Why this matters
The timing of Camilla’s literary festival appearance places the royal family’s competing narratives in sharp relief. While Spencer’s memoir revisits one of the most scrutinized periods in modern royal history, the Queen has chosen to spotlight an initiative that has donated thousands of books to shelters and refuges—a charitable legacy that stands apart from the controversy. With the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death approaching in 2027, the public appetite for competing accounts of that era shows no signs of fading.
