Queen Camilla joked about the infamous Colin Firth scene from the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice during her annual literary festival at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. The queen, 78, described the moment as unforgettable while greeting book lovers at a reception for The Queen's Reading Room, the charity she founded to promote reading during the pandemic and beyond.
The event, now in its third year, coincided with the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. Camilla wore a black dress with white polka dots by Fiona Clare, paired with low-heeled grey pumps, and kept her makeup natural, with her blonde bob styled in gentle waves. The Queen's Reading Room began as a modest list of nine favorite novels scrawled on a notepad during the first lockdown and has since grown into an online community of readers with about 180,000 members and an estimated 12 million annual participants from 183 countries, supported by a network of literary friends.
It seems only fitting that, in the 250th year anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, we are reminded that this magnificent backdrop was her inspiration for Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice. Who can forget the infamous scene of Mr Darcy emerging from the lake in the BBC version? Maybe, William, we can persuade you to re-enact the scene here to add to the excitement of the day, Camilla quipped to Lord William Burlington, the chairman of The Chatsworth House Trust. The 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, was filmed at Chatsworth House, though the television adaptation most closely associated with the lake moment is the 1995 BBC version, which features Darcy rising from the water; the 2005 film does not include that scene.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that books make life better. They allow us to see through another's eyes, they comfort and encourage, make us laugh, make us cry and free us to travel the globe without stepping outside our front doors. Camilla noted that The Queen's Reading Room started humbly during the pandemic as a list of nine favorites scribbled on a notepad, and it has grown online into a community of more than 180,000 readers with an annual audience of about 12 million people from 183 countries. She added that the charity relies on a special array of literary friends and supporters to keep the project going.
The queen also spoke with attendees helped by The Elm Foundation, a charity aiding those affected by domestic abuse, about how books provide escapism and the positive impact of reading. She later examined objects from Austen's life, including a first edition of Pride and Prejudice previously owned by Lady Caroline Lamb, and described the items as treasures before adding more books to The Queen's Reading Room donation station, which will be given to The Elm Foundation. Camilla expressed that she was tempted to stay for a showing of Pride and Prejudice on the lawns but urged the crowd to enjoy it.
Throughout the afternoon, Camilla met notable figures including Gill Hornby, president of the Jane Austen Society; broadcaster and writer Gyles Brandreth, a trustee of The Queen's Reading Room; and author and TV presenter Richard Osman, who participated in discussions about Austen's life and work on the Painted Hall steps. Brandreth led a session on Austen's life with Hornby as festivalgoers listened and debated.
From Chatsworth to the broader conversation about reading, the festival underscored how a royal initiative can connect people across generations and continents through books. The Queen's Reading Room charity continues to place books in donation stations for those in need and to highlight Austen's enduring influence on culture and society.