Queen Camilla celebrated a special milestone with one of Britain’s most beloved storybook characters — Peter Rabbit — as she hosted a reception at Clarence House to mark the 100th anniversary of BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, October 14, the Royal Family shared a touching video montage of the event, captioned:
“Celebrating 100 years of @BookTrust with an old friend! Joined by friends and supporters of the charity, The Queen, as Patron of BookTrust, hosted a reception to celebrate the special occasion.”
In the clip, Queen Camilla, who serves as Patron of BookTrust, was seen smiling alongside a cuddly mascot of Peter Rabbit, who held a copy of the new children’s book Four Happy Bunnies.
The new board book will be part of BookTrust’s Bookstart Baby initiative, which distributes reading materials to more than 500,000 families each year.
“BookTrust has been helping children and families experience the transformational benefits of reading together, reaching 1.4 million families annually,” Buckingham Palace noted.
The statement continued, “Through BookTrust’s Bookstart Baby programme, every child in the UK receives a book before their first birthday. This year’s book, Four Happy Bunnies, is a brand-new Peter Rabbit story written exclusively for the programme. To launch it, The Queen met a special guest — Peter Rabbit!”
The celebration was attended by several renowned British authors and literary figures, including Richard Osman, Sir Philip Pullman, Julia Donaldson, Malorie Blackman, Baroness Floella Benjamin, and Sir Michael Morpurgo, the President of BookTrust.
The event highlighted Queen Camilla’s ongoing advocacy for literacy, reflecting her long-standing commitment to promoting reading and storytelling among children and families across the UK.
