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British Royals

Camilla and Kate join forces to get children reading

The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge are working together to encourage young people to read.

As World Book Day got under way, the royals announced that Kate had chosen five special books for children as part of Camilla’s Reading Room project.

The Duchess of Cornwall has also revealed some of her favourite books for youngsters as the two joined forces to encourage everyone to read.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s selections are shared on the brand new Royal Reading Room website which was launched just days ago following the success of the initial project on Instagram.

Kate has chosen some classic reads for her first contribution and shared just why they are so important to her. Recommending Clive King’s Stig of the Dump, Kate said ”As a child I loved spending time outdoors, making dens, digging, discovering and making things out of odds and ends. Whether this was why my father recommended this book to me or whether this book inspired my imagination, I can’t remember, but I have never forgotten this brilliant book and the values it teaches.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, by Jill Tomlinson, which the Duchess of Cambridge recently read as the CBeebies bedtime story is another pick alongside Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White, with Kate revealing of this selection that it is ” loved in our house for obvious reasons.

Her other selections are Mairi Hedderwick’s The Katie Morag series of books and Feelings by Libby Walden which she recommends as a way to help children understand and recognise their feelings and emotions”.

The Duchess of Cornwall shared her own favourite children’s books just a few days ago as she wrote about the importance of reading in a piece for the Daily Mirror. Camilla said ”reading for pleasure is, we know, the biggest indicator of a child’s future success….yet there are still approximately 400,000 children in our country who don’t have a book of their own’‘. The Duchess added ”when we read, we understand ourselves better, we understand others better and we make lifelong friends.’

The Duchess of Cornwall’s favourite children’s books were Gangsta Granny by David Walliams, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, The Explorer by Katherine Rundell and Judith Kerr’s classic, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.

You can find all the royal picks on The Duchess of Cornwall’s Royal Reading Room website which launched its brand new children’s section to mark World Book Day 2022.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.