Queen Camilla meets authors ahead of award ceremony

Queen Camilla joined shortlisted authors and former winners on Wednesday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Women's Prize for Fiction at Bedford Square ahead of Thursday award ceremony.

According to a statement issued by the Buckingham Palace, "During today's event, Her Majesty met authors shortlisted for both prizes, alongside judges and past winners from the Fiction Prize's illustrious 30-year history."

It said,"The Women's Prize Trust creates opportunities for women writers at all stages of their careers, working to unlock potential, boost confidence, and increase skills and knowledge."

The statement added, "The charity is dedicated to improving access to, and appreciation of, women's writing for all readers through its prestigious Women's Prize for Fiction and Women's Prize for Non-Fiction awards."

"To mark this significant anniversary, the Trust has created a one-off literary honour – The Women's Prize Outstanding Contribution Award. The Queen congratulated the inaugural recipient, acclaimed novelist Bernardine Evaristo, who received this recognition for her significant impact on the world of literature."

After surprising booksellers at the Waterstones' pop-up shop, the Queen entered the main tent, where author Kate Mosse invited her on stage to deliver a speech celebrating three decades of The Women's Prize for Fiction. 

The Buckingham Palace said, "The Queen's connection with The Women's Prize for Fiction, formerly named the Orange Prize, dates back to 2010, when she attended the Award Ceremony to present the Prize to Barbara Kingsolver for her novel The Lacuna."