Following an impactful documentary surrounding domestic abuse, Queen Camilla will once again be on the small-screen but this time will be exploring the life-changing impact of literature, a childhood passion inspired by her late father, Major Bruce Shand.
The Queen announced the upcoming film during a literary reception at Clarence House held to celebrate the fifth anniversary of her charity, The Queen’s Reading Room.
“I’m delighted to announce that we have partnered with the BBC and Blink Films for a major new documentary that will showcase the life-transforming power of books, my father’s and my own experience included, for which the cameras are filming here today” Her Majesty told the attendees.
The reception was a star-studded affair, attended by King Charles and The Duchess of Gloucester alongside a host of Hollywood actors and authors, including Stanley Tucci, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Osman, Lee Child, Jojo Moyes, and Booker Prize-winning novelist Sir Ben Okri.
In her speech to the authors present, the Queen expressed her gratitude: “You allow us to experience life through another’s eyes, you encourage us, you make us laugh, you make us cry, you take us on magical journeys and you create a community of book lovers that transcends almost any barrier.”
As a keen book lover, Her Majesty is Patron of a number literacy-related charities, including Book Aid International, First Story, Silver Stories and The National Literacy Trust. Encouraging the younger generation to read, Camilla often conducts engagements at schools and libraries, including Her Majesty’s first solo engagement following the Coronation was to Shirehampton Primary School in Bristol, where she launched the first of 50 Coronation Libraries, created by the National Literacy Trust.
According to the BBC, Queen Camilla will provide a “special and intimate contribution,” discussing how reading gave her father strength while he was held in a German POW camp.
A theme of the new one-hour documentary will be the Queen’s personal recollections of her father, Major Bruce Shand. A decorated British army officer who served with the 12th Lancers and fought alongside the Desert Rats, Major Shand was awarded the Military Cross twice before being wounded and taken as a prisoner of war in North Africa during World War II.
Major Shand, who later published his own war memoirs in 1990, passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the written word to his children. The Queen has previously described him as a “brilliant storyteller,” having previously noted in The Spectator: “He was probably the best-read man I’ve come across anywhere. He devoured books. And so he read to us, as children. He chose the books, and we listened.”
Produced by Blink Films in partnership with The Open University and BBC Arts, the documentary is set to mark the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026. Beyond Camilla’s personal story, the film will featuring individuals from diverse backgrounds who have used books to overcome deep depression, find solace while in prison, or find the inspiration to completely change their lives. Additionally, the documentary will also examine the growing scientific evidence that demonstrates how reading can actively improve health and wellbeing.
Suzy Klein, Head of BBC Arts and Classical Music TV, emphasised the project’s goal to inspire audiences. “The simple act of opening the pages of a book can be one of the most powerful and transformational choices we can make,” Klein said. “We are especially delighted that Her Majesty the Queen, a devoted reader and champion of literature, is at the heart of this celebratory new project.”
Dan Chambers, Co-Founder of Blink Films and Executive Producer, said: “We’re all delighted to be exploring the transformative effects of reading, and so grateful to Her Majesty The Queen for her ongoing support for the project and for agreeing to go on camera herself.”
The project is directed by Toby Trackman, who previously won a Royal Television Society award for his film The Last Musician of Auschwitz.
The documentary is scheduled to air on BBC Two and iPlayer in the autumn of 2026.
