Queen Camilla made a candid admission during a visit to Heywood Hill, an independent bookshop in central London, on Tuesday. The Queen, an avid reader and patron of multiple literary organisations, took part in a reading consultation where she was asked to pick her all-time top reads and reveal any genres she dislikes.
Queen Camilla's Sci-Fi Confession
Asked if there are any genres she does not like, Camilla said without pause: “I hate sci-fi”, pronouncing it “sky-fi”. Laughing, she added: “That, I’m afraid, is not my favourite. I’m sure a lot of people love it, but, um… No science fiction. No, I can’t do that, you have to have some things you love and some things you really don’t love, and that really is one I don’t love.”
Her Favourite Reads
Camilla’s first pick for her favourite reads was the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, which she described as her “absolute favourite”. Next came The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. “Goodness me, there are so many after that. I’m thinking of them all, but they all seem to come up at the same time,” she told deputy bookshop manager Harriet Bibby, who led the consultation.
Camilla added that she loves A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles, “which is just wonderful”, and the works of British novelists William Boyd and Anthony Horowitz. The Queen estimated that she reads 80% fiction and 20% non-fiction during the visit, which celebrated the West London outlet’s 90th anniversary.
Wrapping Books and Unveiling a Room
One lucky customer will be receiving their order wrapped by the Queen herself, as she helped two full-time packers. Camilla was logged on the staff rota as “CR,” with a crown beside it, which was pinned to the packing room door. The Queen was also shown a large world map covered in blue and yellow flags marking its subscribers in more than 80 countries. After completing her tour of the store’s four main rooms, Camilla unveiled a plaque renaming one of the rooms the “Queen’s Room”.
Inherited Love of Books
She inherited her love of books from her father, Major Bruce Shand, who wrote about military history and published his war memoirs. A crowd of people had gathered outside with their cameras at the ready while she had been inside. Accompanied by Mr Dunne, she exited the front door and walked across the zebra crossing to Shepherd Market opposite. In the upmarket backstreet, she was greeted by and spoke with local business owners and traders.
