Queen Camilla revealed that King Charles reads biographies so engrossingly that he regularly roars

Queen Camilla revealed that King Charles reads biographies so engrossingly that he regularly roars with laughter before dinner. In a new BBC documentary, Camilla shared private glimpses of their evening reading routine, her own path to literacy, and her father’s survival in a World War II POW camp.

Queen Camilla, 79, offered a rare window into her private life with King Charles in a new BBC documentary titled The Book That Changed My Life.

The royal couple routinely spends time reading together before the evening meal in a quiet atmosphere. While Camilla tends to favor historical novels and thrillers, King Charles gravitated toward biographies, often losing himself in the text to the point of distraction.

Camilla described those sudden outbursts as extremely annoying when she is trying to concentrate on her own book, noting that the peaceful hour can turn from laughter to unexpected tears.

Queen Camilla Discusses Childhood Reading And Literacy Charity Work

The Queen’s passion for books dates back to her childhood and her father, Bruce Shand, who read to her and her siblings when they were very young. Having left school at a young age, Camilla noted that reading formed the bulk of her education.

Her engagement with literature expanded beyond personal reading during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she launched an online book club. That digital initiative eventually grew into a charity designed to promote the benefits of reading.

According to the National Literacy Trust, the proportion of children and young people who enjoy reading fell to a 20-year low in Britain last year. The trust is currently collaborating with the government and Camilla’s charity to reverse that decline.

The BBC broadcast featured a gathering hosted by the Queen with four individuals whose lives were changed by reading: a heavy goods vehicle driver, a former prisoner, a roadside café owner, and a man who overcame depression following a domestic accident. In a press preview message, Camilla called the meeting one of the most unusual book club meetings I have ever attended.

Bruce Shand Survived War And Camp Internment Through Reading

Bruce Shand served with the 12th Lancers, fought alongside the Desert Rats, earned military medals twice, and was wounded before being captured in North Africa.

He spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war in Germany. Describing himself as self-taught, he used every accessible text in the camp—ranging from the Bible to encyclopedias—to endure the harsh confinement.

Reflecting on her own early literary adventures, Camilla recalled secretly reading D. H. Lawrence’s controversial novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover as a teenager in the 1960s, hiding it beneath her pillow and reading by flashlight.

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