Queen Camilla hosted the BBC 500 Words event at Windsor Castle on March 6, 2026, where she addressed an audience of children and their parents. According to sources, the Queen has long been an advocate for the joys of reading. ' Her advocacy comes as reading enjoyment among children has declined.
Just 33% of children aged over eight say they enjoy reading in their free time, according to the National Literacy Trust, down from 51% two decades ago. The latest figures from the National Literacy Trust show that the number of children who say they enjoy reading is at its lowest level for 20 years. The National Literacy Trust said that the drop in reading enjoyment was especially steep among primary school-aged children and boys.
The National Literacy Trust found last year that fewer than one in five (19%) of eight to 18-year-olds read something daily in their free time - the lowest levels it has ever recorded. A report by early years charity Kindred Squared said that almost one in three children (28%) start primary school struggling to hold books correctly - with many attempting to swipe or tap pages as if they were a phone or tablet. In response, the Department for Education has joined with the charity, of which the Queen is patron, to declare 2026 a 'national year of reading'.
The specific events being organized for this initiative have not been detailed. ' This year's competition received more than 46,500 entries from across the UK, and last week six young authors were crowned as the winners with stories ranging from various themes. Separately, Queen Camilla gave a speech to guests at a Women of the World reception at St James' Palace, attended by figures like Dame Helen Mirren and Hannah Waddingham.
The Queen has shared her 'solidarity, sorrow and sympathy' for the survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, telling them 'you are not alone'. ' Queen Camilla emphasized: 'Every woman has a story. And these stories must be told.
' According to sources, the Queen has campaigned against domestic and sexual abuse for many years, recently sharing her own experience of sexual assault as a young woman. ' The specific measures being proposed to tackle online misogyny and hatred have not been outlined. Some observers suggest her words are likely to be interpreted as a reference to the Epstein scandal, which her brother-in-law Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been implicated in.
Royal sources suggested the Queen’s words 'spoke for themselves' against the backdrop of the continued allegations facing former prince Andrew’s relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The King and Queen have previously spoken of their 'profound concern' over the catalogue of allegations involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from claims he sexually assaulted the late Virginia Giuffre. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is currently under investigation on separate allegations of misconduct in a public office after being arrested and questioned for 11 hours last month.
The exact details of these allegations have not been disclosed.