Queen Camilla has kicked off the New Year with a bold decision and she’s been branded no “fussy traditionalist” because of it.
Queen Camilla might not have been glimpsed in public attending engagements since before Christmas but she’s kicked off the New Year in bold style nonetheless. Several weeks after she wrapped up in one of her best winter coats and walked to church on Christmas Day the new season of her online book club, the Queen’s Reading Room, is set to begin. On 12th January the first book club pick will be unveiled and ahead of this, Her Majesty shared a sneak peek of the four novels for this season on Instagram - and one of them is rather surprising.
The top book featured is The Lords’ Day by Michael Dobbs - a novel that includes none other than King Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth as characters. The publication of this book 17 years ago didn’t pass without controversy, making Queen Camilla’s choice all the more intriguing.
According to The Telegraph, out of the four books teased on social media for the Reading Room’s next season it’s The Lords’ Day that has allegedly been picked as the first novel. Whether or not this turns out to be the case, it did feature in her recommended reading list post for season 13.
The thriller focuses on an (entirely fictional) siege at the House of Lords in which both Queen Elizabeth and the then-Prince Charles were taken hostage at the State Opening of Parliament.
At the time it was published The Lords’ Day attracted criticism from some for supposedly revealing flaws in parliamentary security. Now author Michael Dobbs has praised Queen Camilla for including the book on her list of recommendations, describing her as a “tremendous sport”.
“I think it shows how inclusive and open-minded she is,” he told The Telegraph. “This isn’t a fussy traditionalist, this is a Queen who has got her eyes open to the modern world.”
He claimed he’d sent a copy of The Lords’ Day to Buckingham Palace “about a year ago” as a “gesture” and had “never expected” Queen Camilla to read it. Michael went on to describe the decision to include his book on the list as “wonderful”.
“It’s most unexpected. I’m totally surprised and hugely honoured,” he declared.
SHOP THE OTHER NEW READING ROOM RECOMMENDED BOOKS
RRP: £8.99 | When the heroine of the novel meets charming widower Maxim de Winter and receives a proposal of marriage everything changes. But when she arrives at his estate, Manderley, she discovers how much the memory of his first wife Rebecca is ever-present.
RRP: £9.99 | An international bestseller for a reason, The Poisonwood Bible tells the suspenseful tale about a missionary family who travel from the state of Georgia in the US to a village in the Congo.
RRP: £8.99 | Cassandra Mortmain lives in the middle of nowhere with her beautiful sister Rose, stepmother Topaz, brother Thomas and eccentric father. Their lives suddenly change forever when American heirs to the castle where they live arrive and Cassandra finds herself falling in love.
Queen Camilla launched the Reading Room back when she was the Duchess of Cornwall in 2021 and is known as an avid reader herself. The Reading Room Instagram account has now amassed 169K followers and in another new move alongside teasing the upcoming season 13 list, Her Majesty has also recently launched the book club’s podcast.
In the opening episode released on 8th January, Queen Camilla talked about the books she most loves reading to her grandchildren. Whilst she confessed she was “hopeless” with the voices of the different characters, King Charles got an honourable mention for his own skills.
She said, “I think the one I enjoyed reading more than others was Harry Potter. And I can’t mimic the voices for love or money. I’m completely hopeless at it. I was a really bad actor at school and I’ve never been able to master the art of mimicry. But my husband, he does it brilliantly. He can do all the voices.”
Now followers of the Reading Room's new season can look forward to reading about King Charles's fictional experience of a dramatic siege in The Lords' Day.
