It's been a difficult month for Queen Camilla, who was not only taken unwell with a chest infection but also lost her beloved dog Beth.
The royal is coming out of the other side of sadness though, with today seeing the King's wife get into the festive spirit with the unveiling of a festive makeover.
Queen Camilla's official literary charity, The Queen's Reading Room, today shared that they have installed a Christmassy display on Kensington High Street, comprising a six-foot-high stack of books, wrapped in a festive design.
The Christmassy installation celebrates the launch of the charity's first-ever book donation campaign, with the impressive display fitted with a large Christmas present box inviting visitors to the attraction to post book donations, both old and new.
Visitors are also encouraged to leave supportive messages for the next reader. Donated books will be distributed to the Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital through The Queen’s Reading Room network.
The Queen's love of books
Queen Camilla launched her charity in 2021 with the mission of helping readers and non-readers alike find and connect with books they love.
The charity hopes to unite readers and help them bond with others to combat loneliness – and Queen Camilla has spoken in the past about how books helped her grow closer to her grandchildren.
© InstagramSpeaking about reading to her grandchildren, the Queen Consort said: "It was just a wonderful way of getting to know them, as you say, bonding. Sitting on the end of their bed and just reading."
She continued: "We took it in turn to find our favourite stories and what's lovely is it's really got them reading. They are bookworms now.
READ: King Charles' 'torturous' night-time habit revealed by Queen Camilla
"It's so lovely if I go and see them, I find them tucked up in bed with a book saying: 'Please don't turn off the light, I've got to finish this chapter.'"
Emphasising her passion for reading, the Queen added: "The more books you read, the more you’re going to understand about different places, different cultures, different ways of life."
Reading with King Charles
King Charles shares his wife's passion for books, with the royal revealing to British Vogue in 2023 that reading with her husband on holiday is one of her greatest joys, explaining: "When we go away, the nicest thing is that we actually sit and read our books in different corners of the same room."
We suspect there will be more than few book-shaped presents under the royal Christmas tree this year!
