Queen Camilla's Gyles Brandreth moment comes as Spencer's memoir makes waves

The Queen received a warm welcome at the Derbyshire estate on Saturday as the festival returned for its fourth edition, bringing authors, readers and literary enthusiasts together for a weekend dedicated to the joy of reading.

Camilla founded The Queen’s Reading Room after the success of her Instagram book club during the pandemic, which grew into a global literary community. 

Speaking to guests at Chatsworth, she reflected on the origins of the initiative and the passion that continues to drive it.

“I created my Reading Room simply because, like all of us here, I love books and their life-enhancing power and I want to share that love with others,” she said.

The Queen revealed that she had initially been unsure how the project would be received, but its reach has since grown dramatically.

“In those early days, I had no idea if anybody would be interested but six years on, we are a global community of millions from over 180 countries,” she said.

Camilla pointed to the many celebrated writers who have visited or drawn inspiration from the historic house, including Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and William Makepeace Thackeray.

“There could hardly be a more fitting location for a literary festival than Chatsworth,” she told the audience.

Looking ahead, she also named several contemporary authors appearing at this year’s festival, including William Boyd, Elif Shafak, Robert Harris and Kate Mosse.

The Queen’s appearance at Chatsworth also attracted attention online following social-media commentary linking her support for literature and her friendship with Gyles Brandreth to recent discussion surrounding Earl Charles Spencer and his forthcoming memoir. 

Those posts expressed interpretations of Camilla’s position, but they do not establish her views or intentions.