Queen Camilla Recalls Reading 'Forbidden' Lady Chatterley's Lover as a Teenager

Queen Camilla has recounted secretly reading D.H. Lawrence's controversial novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover" as a teenager in the 1960s. She described the experience for the BBC documentary "The Book That Changed My Life," recalling how forbidden material held particular allure for young readers.

"As teenagers you read a lot of romances. It was the moment of Lady Chatterley, under our pillows, reading that by torchlight. You know the minute something is forbidden, you want to get hold of it," she said.

The Queen also spoke about the importance of reading in her royal marriage, noting that she and King Charles often read together before dinner. "My husband and I actually read before dinner, just sitting quietly and reading," she said. She mentioned the King's enjoyment of biographies and the works of P.G. Wodehouse, whose comic novels about Jeeves and Wooster often elicit laughter that can interrupt her own reading.

"It's very off-putting, I can't get back into my book, or I'll suddenly start weeping. But it's a lovely, quiet time. I think it would be a complete and utter tragedy if books went forever," Camilla added.

She also revealed a childhood fascination with Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities," particularly its depiction of onlookers during the French Revolution. The Queen, who is 79, noted that her generation of women often missed out on higher education, making books a crucial part of her self-education.

"I left school quite young. In my day, women didn't go to university, so I think reading has been most of my education," she stated.

The documentary also highlighted stories of individuals who found solace and escape through reading during difficult times. Omar, who discovered a love for reading in prison, shared his experience of using books to escape his surroundings. He found a connection with the Queen, who revealed that her own father, Bruce Shand, had found a similar escape through reading during his time as a prisoner of war in North Africa during World War II.

"He said he educated himself. He read every single book, from the Bible to the encyclopedia, whatever was there, he just sat there all day long and read and read. And I think that's how he survived it," Camilla said of her father.

She explained that her father rarely spoke about the war due to the traumatic experiences he endured, and it was only through reading his memoir that she gained insight into his struggles. "It was written from the heart. I mean, I cried through most of it. I found it so moving. Because if you think, I didn't know anything about it, and reading managed to get him through it," she shared.

Omar noted the Queen's recognition of the parallel between their experiences, stating, "She talked about the parallels, her father found reading in a prisoner of war camp. She definitely recognised the resemblance… being in a place you don't want to be and using books to escape it and then books elevating you on many levels."

Queen Camilla has been involved in promoting literacy through her Queen's Reading Room project for five years, which includes festivals, events, and outreach initiatives aimed at bringing books to various communities and combating screen addiction.

The documentary also featured stories from individuals who found reading to be a lifeline. Ian, from the northeast of England, found reading and joining a book group instrumental in overcoming profound loneliness after his mother's death. Peter, a truck driver from Merseyside, spoke about the shame he felt being unable to read to his children and the subsequent help he received from an adult education project.

"The Book That Changed My Life" also drew attention to the issue of adult illiteracy in the UK, with statistics indicating that eight million adults struggle with basic literacy skills. Big Issue founder John Bird attributed this to a long-term failure in addressing the "inheritance of poverty," stating that individuals who found education difficult were often overlooked.

Bird praised the Queen's literacy campaign for providing a vital symbolic focus, suggesting that her involvement encourages wider public engagement with the issue.