Queen Camilla hosted a reception at St James’s
Palace to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Book Aid International, a charity that
works in over 25 countries to establish libraries and provide books where they can
have the greatest impact. During the event, the Queen highlighted the "joy"
that reading brings to children. The reception at St James’s Palace
in London welcomed around 100 guests, including the charity’s president, Nigel Newton, and Lady Caroline Simmonds,
daughter of the charity’s founder. Camilla, who has been the
charity’s patron since 2022, launched her own online book club
during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Since its founding in 1954, Book Aid
International has distributed over 37 million books to schools, libraries,
prisons, and refugee camps worldwide. In a spontaneous speech after mingling
with guests, Camilla emphasized the "very, very big difference" that access
to books makes in people's lives.