Understand
Queen Camilla reflects on reading forbidden books as a teenager and the life-changing power of literacy
Overview
In a BBC documentary titled The Book That Changed My Life, Queen Camilla has shared memories of secretly reading Lady Chatterley's Lover as a teenager and discussed how reading formed a vital part of her education and royal marriage. She also highlighted how books provided an emotional escape for her father during his time as a prisoner of war and heard powerful personal testimonies from individuals whose lives were transformed by literacy and reading schemes.
Key points
- Queen Camilla recalled secretly reading DH Lawrence's controversial novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by torchlight under her pillow as a teenager.
- She described reading as "the best tonic in the world" and shared that she and King Charles III quietly read together before dinner.
- The Queen noted that because women of her generation often missed out on higher education, reading became a central part of her own education.
- She discussed parallels between her father's use of books as an emotional escape while imprisoned during World War II and how reading helps others in confinement, such as former prisoners.
- The documentary also features stories of individuals overcoming severe loneliness, bereavement, and adult illiteracy through reading programmes and book groups.
- Queen Camilla has campaigned to promote literacy and protect the value of reading for five years through her Queen's Reading Room project.