Queen Camilla has been transformed into a cartoon character in the legendary British comic, the Beano, during a high-profile visit to Edinburgh to launch the National Year of Reading in Scotland.
A Royal Fan of Dennis the Menace
The Queen Consort was presented with a framed comic strip featuring herself alongside the iconic mischief-maker, Dennis the Menace, and his dog Gnasher. Camilla, 78, revealed she was a long-time fan of the comic, telling pupils from Granton Primary School: 'I was brought up on the Beano, too. It's been going a long time.' She was just three years old when the Dundee-based publisher DC Thomson first created Dennis in 1951.
In the specially created strip, a cartoon Queen Camilla comes to the rescue of Dennis after he is scolded by his mother for reading a comic in the library while wearing headphones. Outlining new, inclusive rules for reading, the royal character declares: 'Go all in for the National Year of Reading, Dennis! Comics and audiobooks count too!'
Looking at the flattering depiction, the Queen joked: 'I wish!'
Championing Modern Literacy
The visit to the National Library of Scotland underscored a urgent national campaign. Camilla, patron of the National Literacy Trust since 2010, was keen to promote the 'Go All In' slogan, designed to encourage reading for just five minutes daily. She joined a roundtable where she learned that 54 libraries in Scotland have closed since 2014, expressing concern over the trend.
'Just to get everybody reading again, especially now, is so important. The battle against these machines. Get them back to books,' she stated, highlighting the challenge of digital distraction.
The campaign's message is backed by recent research. A landmark paper from the National Literacy Trust argues that activities from scanning song lyrics to listening to audiobooks can be classed as reading. This comes as fresh data shows reading enjoyment among UK children aged 8-16 has fallen to a 20-year low, with only 1 in 3 saying they enjoy it in their free time. In Scotland, the figures are even starker, with just 1 in 6 reading daily for pleasure.
A Day of Royal Engagements in Edinburgh
The event was filled with light-hearted moments. Camilla tried her hand at drawing Dennis and Gnasher alongside children from Clovenstone Primary School, with her efforts jokingly hailed as 'spectacular' by Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust. She also met a life-sized Dennis and Gnasher, and was shown a ceremonial golden key used by Queen Elizabeth II to open the library in 1956.
Later, she mingled with literary ambassadors including authors Sir Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, and poet Jackie Kay, who recalled the Queen remembering a joke from years prior.
Meanwhile, King Charles conducted his own engagement, sampling a dram of award-winning Rosebank Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky at a reception for the Scotland Investment Forum at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The whisky, which costs around £60 per dram, was described by the King as having a 'toffee' flavour. He joked about the unflattering nature of being photographed while drinking and recalled his experiences visiting distilleries.
The day highlighted a dual royal focus: supporting Scottish business and entrepreneurship, led by the King, and tackling a national literacy crisis, championed by the Queen Consort. Both causes, underscored by tradition and a touch of Beano mischief, pointed towards building a stronger future for the United Kingdom.
