Camilla’s Reading Room: Duchess of Cornwall plays book fairy in Aberdeenshire

The Duchess of Cornwall has placed copies of some of her favourite books in a red phone box library for people to find.

The Duchess of Cornwall who has placed copies of some of her favourite books in a red phone box library, the tiny library exchange in Abergeldie in rural Aberdeenshire, for the public to discover.

Camilla’s popular online book club, the Reading Room, has been planting publications by recommended authors in phone boxes around the country to encourage people to read, and she lent a hand in Scotland.

Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and The Island by Victoria Hislop, signed by the authors, were left by the duchess in the tiny library exchange in Abergeldie.

The Prince of Wales opened the converted phone box in 2018 on the B976 in rural Aberdeenshire, between the private royal residences of Birkhall and Balmoral, and Charles and Camilla have deposited books there in the past.

The duchess was pictured inside the converted phone box, which was packed with books, holding her contributions to the library.

Launched on Instagram in January 2021, Camilla’s Reading Room is a hub for literary communities around the world and celebrates literature in all its forms.

It was inspired by the popular reading lists she shared during the pandemic in 2020, and offers book recommendations as well as exclusive insights from the authors, in a community space for book lovers of all ages and backgrounds.

Earlier this week, it was revealed the Duchess of Cornwall will join Country Life magazine as its third royal guest editor for the launch of an issue commemorating its 125th anniversary.

Camilla will edit the magazine’s special edition, to be published on July 13, just a few days before her 75th birthday on July 17, with the royal edition focusing on the duchess’ love of horses and dogs.

She has two rescue Jack Russell terriers and is a patron of Battersea Cats and Dogs’ Home.

The edition will focus on the duchess’ work as a patron of more than 90 charities, including Barnardo’s and the Royal Society of Literature.

She will also reveal her chosen champions of the countryside, her most beloved rural view and her favourite recipe.

The collectors’ issue will be part of a year-long celebration of the award-winning magazine’s history and its role in highlighting the countryside and rural life for over a century.

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