The Queen took on her royal duties with aplomb today, as she inaugurated a new school library, demonstrating her commitment to education and literacy.
Despite ongoing controversies surrounding her brother-in-law, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his association with Jeffrey Epstein, Queen Camilla was in Camden, North London, to unveil the 2,000th ‘Coronation Library’. This initiative is part of a lasting tribute to the monarchy’s ascent to the throne, aimed at enriching the literary resources available to primary school students.
As the patron of the National Literacy Trust, Queen Camilla has prioritized fostering a love for reading in her public engagements. She appeared genuinely pleased to witness the excitement of young students at Christ Church Primary School, who were eager to explore their new library.
Engaging with the children, she asked, “Do you all enjoy reading? That’s wonderful. Are any of you aspiring to be librarians?” Her interaction included pupil librarians from several local schools participating in a classroom workshop.
“Thank you so much for sharing your stories with me,” she expressed warmly to the students.
This visit, occurring amidst a challenging period for the Royal Family, marks the debut of a Coronation Library in a school during the 2026 National Year of Reading. This initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Education and the National Literacy Trust, seeks to rekindle a passion for books across all age groups.
Accompanied by executive headteacher Lee Duffy and author Tola Okogwu, the royal first met with the pupil librarians before joining an interactive assembly with Key Stage Two students led by another children’s author, Chris Smith.
Sitting on the stage, Camilla beamed as he encouraged the youngsters to come up with ideas for a mystery centred around a sandwich. Dozens of excited hands shot into the air wanting to contribute to the initiative.
Queen Camilla meets with pupils as she attends the opening of a library at Christ Church Primary School in London
The Queen was dressed in a brown cashmere coat by Anna Valentine with a favourite eye-catching £7,000 Jack Russell dog brooch by Van Cleef and Arpels
Dressed in a brown cashmere coat by Anna Valentine with a favourite eye-catching £7,000 Jack Russell dog brooch by Van Cleef and Arpels, the Queen then met reception-aged youngsters who were discussing their favourite books.
Noting one of the themes, she asked one youngster: ‘Are you a dangerous dinosaur then?’ before hunkering down on her knees to chat.
She was also given a special book containing pupils’ drawings of their favourite book covers created with author and illustrator Sophy Henn, who said she had been overwhelmed by their creativity and enthusiasm.
The royal was then joined by Year Four pupils Nwanneka, Siva and Wren to officially open their new library.
‘It must be very exciting to have this space now,’ she said.
One of the children said: ‘I’ve seen Little Women, which I am dying to read!’ ‘That’s a lovely one. I read it a very long time ago,’ Camilla replied. ‘You have books for every age.‘
Afterwards she unveiled a plaque to mark the library’s opening before being given a posy and walking through two lines of flag-waving and cheering youngsters.
Headmaster Mr Duffy said the visit had been thrilling for the children. ‘You can see how inspired they are.
Queen Camilla (pictured right), patron of the National Literacy Trust, has made the encouragement of reading a cornerstone of her public work and appeared delighted to see so many youngsters enthused by the new addition to Christ Church Primary School
The Queen’s visit (pictured) marks the first Coronation Library to open in a school during the 2026 National Year of Reading, a Department of Educational and National Literacy Trust initiative which aims to reconnect people of all ages with a love of books
Accompanied by executive headteacher Lee Duffy and author Tola Okogwu, the royal first met with the pupil librarians before joining an interactive assembly with Key Stage Two students led by another children’s author, Chris Smith
The King’s wife meets pupil librarians as she attends the opening of the library in Camden
Queen Camilla departs after attending the opening of a library at Christ Church Primary School
Queen Camilla (pictured right) arriving for her visit to Christ Church Primary School in London
‘Reading is a gateway to so many things and opens doors for the future. If we don’t get this right, there’s a lot of [other] things that won’t go right as well.
‘We are doing a lot as a school to encourage and enthuse that passion from an early age,’ he said.
Christ Church Primary School teaches approximately 230 pupils between the ages of 3 and 11 and supports high numbers of children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, with 50 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals – twice the national average.
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that empowers children, young people and adults with the literacy skills they need to succeed.
