Queen Camilla hops into literacy celebration with Peter Rabbit

Queen Camilla celebrated a milestone in childhood literacy with her trademark warmth and charm as she marked 100 years of BookTrust at Clarence House on Tuesday.

The Queen, who proudly serves as patron of the charity, welcomed a glittering gathering of authors, illustrators, and literary figures to commemorate the century-long effort to promote reading among young children.

She unveiled a specially commissioned Peter Rabbit story, Four Happy Bunnies, which will be distributed to newborns across the UK as part of BookTrust’s Bookstart Baby initiative, reaching more than 500,000 families annually.

She posed for photographs with a cuddly Peter Rabbit mascot, who held a copy of the new book, delighting guests and highlighting the joy of reading from an early age.

The event celebrated not only the charity’s legacy but also the Queen’s enduring commitment to nurturing a love of books in Britain’s youngest readers.

Among the distinguished guests were Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Julia Donaldson, Malorie Blackman, Richard Osman, Floella Benjamin, and Sir Michael Morpurgo, all joining Queen Camilla to mark a century of BookTrust’s work.

Reflecting on the charity’s journey from its founding in 1925 to becoming Britain’s largest reading charity, Diana Gerald MBE, Co-CEO said, “We were honoured that The Queen has hosted this event marking 100 years of BookTrust.

We’ve come a long way since 1925, and we have so much to be proud of, but the need for BookTrust is now clearer than ever.”

President Sir Michael Morpurgo added, “An essential part of the fabric of society, BookTrust makes stories and reading a part of every family life and creates a shared cultural heritage for our children. This has never been more important.”

Today, the charity collaborates with 30,000 community partners, reaching 1.4 million children annually across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.