Duchess of Cambridge teams up with Camilla to launch children’s book club
The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge have teamed up to launch a children’s book club with a reading list full of classics including Princess Charlotte’s best-loved fictional namesake.
The Duchess of Cambridge – who has made early years education the cornerstone of her work in the Royal Family – has shared her top five recommended books for small children with the Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room.
At least three of the books were loved by her as a child and are now shared with her own three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. One was written in the 1950s, two in the 60s, one in the 80s and one in 2016.
The Reading Room, which has launched its own website, has included a new children’s section to mark World Book Day.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s recommendations include Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (1952), which she calls an “all-time classic and loved in our house for obvious reasons”.
“This is a charming story about friendship, loyalty and love,” she said.
Stig of The Dump, by Clive King (1963), Kate disclosed, had encouraged her to love “spending time outdoors, making dens, digging, discovering and making things out of odds and ends” as a child.
“Whether this was why my father recommended this book to me or whether this book inspired my imagination I can’t remember, but I have never forgotten this brilliant book and the values it teaches,” she added.
The Duchess called The Katie Morag Series, by Mairi Hedderwick (1984-2007), “fun stories for children of all ages and a great book for older children to read to younger siblings. These books are filled with captivating and beautiful illustrations to accompany the text, so there’s lots to talk about.”
She also included The Owl Who Was Afraid of The Dark, by Jill Tomlinson (1968), which she recently read as part of the CBeebies Bedtime Story programme.
“I loved this book as a little girl and listening to my own children reading it has brought back so many wonderful memories,” she said. “A comforting story to help children face their fears and grow in confidence with the help of others.”
The fifth and final book, Feelings, by Libby Walden (2016), is the most modern.
‘Reading for pleasure is biggest indicator of future success’
In keeping with the Duchess’s mission to help children develop the resilience to lead a happy, healthy life, she said: “This little book is a wonderful way to help children understand and recognise their feelings and emotions, and brings to life the importance of empathy.”
The five recommendations can be found on the new Duchess of Cornwall Reading Room website. The online book club was founded on Instagram in January 2021 in lockdown and receives support from A-list authors.
Camilla has previously shared her own favourite children’s books – Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, The Explorer, by Katherine Rundell, Gangsta Granny, by David Walliams, and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, by Judith Kerr.
She said: “Reading for pleasure is, we know, the biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income. And yet there are still approximately 400,000 children in our country who don’t have a book of their own.
“World Book Day is a brilliant way to prove how much fun and escapism can be found in a good book.”
The Duchess of Cornwall has been Patron of The National Literacy Trust since 2010.
