Duchess of Edinburgh to read CBeebies Bedtime Story for World Sight Day

The Duchess of Edinburgh will read a CBeebies Bedtime Story to Britain’s children for World Sight Day.

The Duchess, who wears reading glasses, will read Specs for Rex by Yasmeen Ismail, a story about a young lion that embraces its new glasses.

The book is aimed at normalising children wearing glasses at school and during play time.

It is due to air on Oct 10 and is intended to highlight the importance of eye health, having regular check-ups and overcoming any stigma associated with wearing glasses and eye patches.

In a trailer for the CBeebies programme, the Duchess said: “Millions of us need glasses to see the world clearly. World Sight Day is a reminder to all of us to take care of our eyes, whether we need glasses or not.

“Our eyes are precious, and our sight is something to cherish and look after. So let’s remember to take care of our eyes this World Sight Day.”

The Duchess joins past readers, including the Princess of Wales, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Kate Winslet, who have previously performed readings on CBeebies Bedtime Story.

The Princess of Wales was the first Royal to do such a reading in 2022. She read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark for Children’s Mental Health Week, with the hope of encouraging children to face their fears by talking to other people.

World Sight Day, organised by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), highlights the importance of eye health and this year’s campaign focuses on highlighting the need for regular eye tests and accessible eye care for children.

Simon Darvill, an IAPB spokesman said: “We’re thrilled to have CBeebies and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh shine a spotlight on children’s eye health for World Sight Day.

“I know myself how lovely it is to sit down as a family to watch the CBeebies bedtime story, and we hope that this special story will engage millions of families, shine a spotlight on the importance of eye care for children and encourage people to book that all important sight test.”