Qhis time King Charles III did not mind taking the place of his wife. In fact, it should have been Queen Camilla who started the work on the first one Queen’s Reading Room Festival, inspired by his hugely popular book club. But Parker Bowles And arrived late on the stage of Hampton Court Palace, Henry VIII’s historic Royal residence. And the sovereign, who at the time of his first wife Diana was never happy to act as a fallback, immediately offered to take her place for Camilla.
Queen Camilla with British actress Judi Dench at the inaugural Queen’s Reading Room Literary Festival, Hampton Court Palace, June 11, 2023 (Getty Images)
Queen Camilla stuck in traffic, King Charles III makes theunderstudy of the wife
When Parker Bowles telephoned the organizers, warning that the car she was traveling in was stuck in a multi-mile highway traffic jam, the panic behind the scenes was immediately apparent. The festival was about to start and Camilla was supposed to read a presentationas well as do the honors at a pre-event reception. But who better than Charles to replace the queen? The sovereign had arrived early, by himself, and was happy to do so understudy of the wife.
Queen Camilla’s friend, Dame Judi Dench
Once she managed to get to Hampton Court, Queen Camilla was immediately greeted by the Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench, called on stage to discuss her great love for the works of William Shakespeare. Also in attendance were other distinguished British actors such as Sir Derek Jacobi, Richard E Grant and Dame Joanna Lumley, and authors such as Ken Follett, Robert Harris, Philippa Gregory and Kate Mosse, in an event which highlighted the importance of reading for adults and children .
Camilla at Hampton Court Palace, June 11, 2023 (Getty Images)
Camilla’s passion for Jane Austen
Much appreciated was the performance of a theater company particularly dear to Camilla: Austentatious, a group of actors who specialize in particularly entertaining improvisations based on the novels and world of Jane Austen. But this time they “worked” on a fictitious novel, the title of which – Persuasion and the strange occasion – it was suggested by Camilla, who only revealed it on stage.
Camilla’s festival will become the Glastonbury of the book?
Started on Instagram in 2021, during the pandemic, to spread Camilla’s (at the time not yet queen) passion for reading, the book club now bears the official name of The Queen’s Reading Room and has become a charity, engaged in British schools and abroad. The first one-day festival was a great success and the organizers plan to repeat the event next year, extending it to more days. A real Glastonbury of books and reading.
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