Queen Camilla Praises Power of Books Amid Earl Spencer Memoir Controversy

Chatsworth House Festival and Global Reach

Camilla was welcomed with applause to Chatsworth House for the first day of the festival celebrating The Queen’s Reading Room, a charity she founded after her Instagram book club succeeded during the pandemic. Lord William Burlington, chairman of The Chatsworth House Trust, called the collaboration a “huge thrill” for a second consecutive year. Camilla told guests in the Painted Hall that the Grade I listed stately home, which holds a library of over 17,000 books, felt “like coming home,” noting that the location has hosted authors like Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, alongside guests such as William Boyd, Elif Shafak, Robert Harris, and Kate Mosse.

“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,” Camilla said. She noted that six years on, the initiative has grown into a global community of millions across more than 180 countries that swaps recommendations and donates thousands of books to women’s refuges and homeless shelters.

Memoir Controversy and Palace Response

Camilla’s literary event coincided with intense media attention surrounding Earl Spencer’s memoir chronicling the life of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. The book, titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, alleges that King Charles subjected the earl to a “stream of anger” over the funeral procession for Princes William and Harry, and claimed the monarch sounded “giddily elated… like a lottery winner” after Diana’s death. In a BBC interview extract, the earl maintained he is “telling the truth” and called the King’s alleged comments “monstrous.” The claims prompted Buckingham Palace to issue an unprecedented statement asserting that “the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason.”

BBC Documentary and Personal Stories of Renewal

During the festival, details emerged about the upcoming BBC Arts programme The Book That Changed My Life, set to air on BBC Two on October 14 during the National Year of Reading 2026. The documentary follows Camilla as she meets four people whose lives changed through reading, including Ian Kirby from Gateshead. Kirby fell into depression following a traumatic household incident but found fresh perspective after joining a local book club and reading an autobiography by local boxing champion Glenn McCrory. “That is the beauty of a book. It can give you experiences you’ve never experienced, but they can also be an inspiration,” Kirby says in the film. The documentary will also explore scientific evidence showing how reading improves health and wellbeing.

Autumn Book Recommendations

Joined by journalist Reeta Chakrabarti and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, Camilla revealed her four autumn book choices at the festival: Finding Belle by Chakrabarti, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Whistler by Ann Patchett, and Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Chakrabarti, whose debut novel made the selection, expressed surprise at the event, telling the Queen, “Well, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much for choosing it, and I’m going to read the others.” Camilla praised the work, stating, “It’s a very good book, I highly recommend it to everybody.” The Queen also attended a reception in the Sculpture Gallery with literary figures including Lee Child, who wrote the Jack Reacher novel series, and Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Queen’s Reading Room?

It is a charity founded by Queen Camilla following the success of her pandemic-era Instagram book club, aimed at connecting readers globally and supporting literacy initiatives.

When will ‘The Book That Changed My Life’ air?

The documentary is scheduled to broadcast on BBC Two on October 14.

What books were chosen for the autumn 2026 season?

The Queen selected Finding Belle by Reeta Chakrabarti, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Whistler by Ann Patchett, and Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore.