Even with their busy schedules, Queen Camilla and King Charles make sure to close out every night at Clarence House with an intimate ritual. It’s one that both of them cherish, despite it leaving the Queen at times in a fog.
Within BBC’s new documentary The Book That Changed My Life, Camilla revealed she and her husband usually like a good read before dinner.
“My husband and I actually read before dinner. We just like sitting quietly and reading,” she shared.
Although it’s meant to be a moment of silence at the end of their chaotic days, The King sometimes disrupts the quietness. Nevertheless, Queen Camilla still finds their ritual endearing.
The Queen continued, “I occasionally, when I’m deep in a book, hear him roaring with laughter about something. It’s very off-putting, I can’t get back into my book, or I’ll suddenly start weeping, but it’s a lovely, quiet time.”
As for what is making the monarch laugh out loud, Queen Camilla said he will usually be reading one of the comedic works of P.G. Wodehouse, which is quite the contrast to the historical fiction and thrillers she usually indulges herself with.
Camilla’s affinity for reading began long before her romance to Charles. Before they had met at a polo match in 1970, she already had her nose in the books.
"We left school quite young because in my day women didn't go to universities," she recalled. "So I think reading has been most of my education. You learn much about people, about life. It's so important to get children reading early."
Since joining the Royal Family, Queen Camilla has been a passionate advocate for the importance of literature. In January 2021, she founded The Queen’s Reading Room, a charity and online book club working to foster the power and benefits of reading.