Queen Camilla has revealed details of a deeply personal new BBC documentary about the extraordinary power of books.
Her Majesty was speaking at The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House, where she met members of the public and celebrated her enduring passion for literature.
Titled The Book That Changed My Life, the BBC Arts programme follows the Queen as she meets four people from very different backgrounds, each with a remarkable story of how a book found them at a crucial moment in their lives.
The documentary is due to air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 14 October, subject to confirmation in the weekly television schedules.
In a speech at the festival, Camilla explained why she created The Queen’s Reading Room, saying: “I love books and their life-enhancing power and I want to share that love with others.”
That belief sits at the heart of the new programme, which the BBC has described as “warm, emotional, and full of hope”.
Rather than simply looking at favourite books, the documentary explores the moments when reading can offer someone a different way of seeing themselves, their circumstances or the world around them.
One of the people featured is Ian Kirby from Gateshead, who shared his story at the festival during a panel discussion on book clubs chaired by acclaimed crime writer Ann Cleeves.
It was the autobiography of Gateshead boxing legend Glenn McCrory that helped him look at his own experiences from a different perspective.
“That is the beauty of a book. It can give you experiences you’ve never experienced, but they can also be an inspiration,” Ian says in the documentary.
His relationship with reading has since opened the door to a new community. Ian is now part of the Reading Ramblers, a group which combines audiobooks with guided walks through Chopwell Wood.
“My confidence is back and I’ve made new friends, and it’s all through the joy of reading,” he says.
2026-09-19 23:01:00
