Queen Camilla draws her own cartoon and laughs

Queen Camilla delighted schoolchildren and Beano fans yesterday at the National Library of Scotland as she helped kick off the first national year of reading since 2008. 

Newly released photos show the Queen transformed into cartoon form, standing alongside the mischievous Denis the Menace. 

She also contributed her own drawing of Denis’ loyal dog, Gnasher, leaving everyone impressed with her artistic side.

A bespoke three‑panel comic featuring Beano’s mischievous duo meeting the Queen was presented to her, delighting children and adults alike.

As patron of the National Literacy Trust (NLT), Camilla used the platform to spotlight a worrying trend, only around three in ten Scottish children said they enjoy reading in their free time, and just one in six pick up a book daily, according to recent research released ahead of the launch. 

The NLT warns this could affect young people’s confidence, creativity and wellbeing

Speaking at the event, Camilla made the point that reading doesn’t have to be traditional, she campaigned for audiobooks and comics to be embraced as valid ways to engage with stories, urging everyone to “go all in” on reading in whatever form speaks to them.