Queen Camilla Attends Braemar Literary Festival Alongside Hugh Bonneville
The Queen joined literary figures and actors at the annual event in Aberdeenshire, which she has supported since its inception.
Queen Camilla attended the fifth edition of the Braemar Literary Festival in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, appearing alongside actor Hugh Bonneville, known for his role in "Paddington." The festival, held at the Fife Arms Hotel, also featured British romance novelist Jojo Moyes and American author Bonnie Garmus.
Camilla, 79, wore an autumnal outfit consisting of a plaid dress, navy sweater, and a puffer jacket, paired with black tights and ballet flats. She was accompanied by her son, food critic Tom Parker Bowles, who hosted a question-and-answer session with the hotel owners.
The Queen's Reading Room, a charity founded by Camilla that champions literature, collaborated with the festival. She has been a regular attendee since the Braemar Literary Festival's launch in 2022, where she previously met author Sebastian Faulks.
The festival takes place near Balmoral Castle, where Camilla spent the summer with King Charles. The Queen's attendance was noted in the Court Circular.
This event follows recent public comments by Queen Camilla regarding the importance of "togetherness." Her remarks came in the context of a dispute between Buckingham Palace and Earl Spencer concerning his memoir about Princess Diana. At a literary festival in Derbyshire, Camilla shared a proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," emphasizing the support received from book lovers.
This statement followed Earl Spencer's insistence on the truthfulness of his memoir's claims, which Buckingham Palace stated were clouded by grief. His book alleged that King Charles, then Prince of Wales, made disparaging remarks about Diana shortly after her death. Earl Spencer reiterated these claims in an interview, suggesting Charles was embarrassed by the alleged comment.
Additionally, details emerged about a new BBC Arts documentary titled "The Book That Changed My Life," featuring Queen Camilla. The film, scheduled to air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on October 14, explores the transformative power of reading through the stories of four individuals whose lives were impacted by books. The documentary is set to broadcast during the National Year of Reading in 2026.
The Braemar Literary Festival is also set to conclude with an appearance by the Maclean Brothers—Ewan, Jamie, and Lachlan. The siblings gained recognition for their record-setting rowing expeditions across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, raising funds for clean water projects through their foundation. They will share their experiences from their book "Three Brothers in a Boat."