Today the Duchess of Cornwall will be visiting Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton. The beloved English author spent the last eight years of her life in the cottage before her death in Winchester 1817. Austen is a rare author who still remains a favourite choice amongst royal readers over two centuries later.
King George IV
While George was the Prince Regent, he immediately became interested in Austen’s work. Known largely for his gambling, drinking, and generally racy lifestyle, ‘Prinny’ also spent much of his time on cultural and literary pursuits.
The future-George IV bought both Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility in their first editions, and actively wanted to support Austen. His physician had also treated Austen, and introduced him to her works, and he invited her to tour Carlton House.
Unfortunately, Austen had no liking of the Prince Regent. She felt that the breakdown of his marriage to Princess Caroline was most likely because of his own behaviour and considered him boorish. In any case, she was invited to dedicate her next book to him. You can find this dedication in early editions of Emma:
To His Royal Highness, The Prince Regent. This work is, by his Royal Highness’s permission, most respectfully dedicated by His Royal Highness’s dutiful and obedient humble servant, The Author.
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria was another fan of Austen’s works. There are records in her surviving diary entries detailing how Prince Albert read Pride and Prejudice aloud to her in 1853 while the family was vacationing at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. And in 1857, he read her Austen’s first novel, Northanger Abbey.
The Duchess of Cornwall
In a 2015 interview, the Duchess said that her favourite literary protagonist is none other than Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice.
In January 2021, Camilla established her own online book club, The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room, that helps promote literacy across all ages. She supports several different organisations that support efforts to promote literacy.
