Queen Camilla says King Charles enjoys biographies and bursts into laughter while reading

Camilla discussed the royal couple's nightly reading habit and her own love of books in the upcoming BBC Arts programme.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 10:43:08 GMT

Queen Camilla told the BBC Arts documentary "The Book That Changed My Life" that King Charles enjoys reading biographies and sometimes "roars" with laughter while they read together before dinner.

What happened

The documentary, due to air next week, follows Camilla as she meets a former prisoner, an HGV driver, a man who became depressed after a home incident, and a roadside café owner. She describes the programme as "one of the most unusual book club meetings I have ever attended" during a press preview.

What the reports add

Camilla recalled reading the "forbidden" novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence as a teenager, reading it under a pillow by torchlight.
She said reading is "like the best tonic in the world" and warned that it would be "a complete and utter tragedy if books went forever".
Camilla explained that she left school young and that her father began reading to them when they were very young, shaping her lifelong love of books.
She recounted her father's experience as a prisoner of war, noting how reading helped him survive the ordeal.
In a message delivered at a preview screening, Camilla said books "have certainly enriched my own life beyond measure".

What was said

"My husband and I actually read before dinner, we just like sitting quietly and reading." (Standard)

"I occasionally, when I’m deep in a book, hear him roaring with laughter about something. It’s very off‑putting. I can’t get back into my book." (Standard)

"It’s a lovely quiet time." (Standard)

"I think it would be a complete and utter tragedy if books went forever." (Standard)

"We must’ve been very, very young when my father started reading to us. I think that’s where my love of reading came from. We started off with Treasure Island and Peter Pan, all those lovely old classics." (Standard)

"A sniper shot him through his face… he was taken to a prisoner of war camp and incarcerated for two and a half years. He educated himself by reading every single book, from the bible to the encyclopaedia." (Standard)

"Books have certainly enriched my own life beyond measure." (Standard)

How it came about

The documentary is part of BBC Arts' series exploring the transformative power of reading. Camilla explains that her love of books began after leaving school early, noting that her father read to them when they were very young. She recalled early reads such as Treasure Island and Peter Pan, and later romances, including the "forbidden" Lady Chatterley's Lover read by torchlight under her pillow.

Key facts

King Charles enjoys reading biographies before dinner (standard.co.uk)
Queen Camilla sometimes hears the King roar with laughter while reading (standard.co.uk)
The documentary "The Book That Changed My Life" will air next week on BBC Arts (standard.co.uk)
Camilla read "Lady Chatterley's Lover" as a teenager under torchlight (standard.co.uk)