King Charles and Queen Camilla completed their historic U.S. tour on Thursday in true style, complete with a send-off from President Donald Trump, a celebratory parade—and, for her majesty, an appearance on the “Today” show.
Camilla, 78, took time during her action-packed trip to New York City this week to chat with “Today” host Jenna Bush Hager about a cause that is particularly close to her heart: spreading a love of literature and reading.
During a visit to the New York Public Library in Manhattan on Wednesday, Camilla spoke with Jenna, 44, about how she first developed a love of books as a child, when her father, late British Army Major Bruce Shand, would read her bedtime stories.
“Oh, but he was wonderful,” Camilla recalled. “He used to sit at the end of our beds every night and read us these incredibly exciting stories, some of them quite frightening, pillows over our head, but he just gave us this incredible interest.”
The British royal—who was joined at the library by Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour—noted that she still maintains a soft spot for one particular author whose books her father would read to her: A.A. Milne, the writer behind the beloved “Winnie the Pooh” series.
It is not the first time that Camilla has praised her father for fostering her love of reading, a passion that ultimately inspired her to launch her own literary charity, The Queen’s Reading Room, in 2020.
Speaking about her decision to start the initiative, Camilla explained to Jenna that she saw an opportunity to share her fondness for books during a time when people might need something to lift their spirits.
“We’re all sitting there, twiddling our fingers, not quite knowing what to do, and I just gave eight of my favorite books to a local newspaper. Bingo,” she revealed.
“All these people write to me all over the world, so we thought why not try to take it a step further?”
As a child, Camilla—who wed Charles in 2005—split her time between her family’s two homes: a London dwelling that was located in South Kensington and a stunning 18th-century country pile that is known as The Laines and which served as their primary residence for many years.
Located in Plumpton, Sussex, the property is a Grade II-listed dwelling that was originally built in the 1700s as a rectory, although it was expanded in the 1800s. It was added to the National Heritage List for England in 1979, according to British news outlet The Argus.
Major Shand and his wife, Rosalind, purchased the home soon after World War II in order to move closer to Sonia Cubitt, Rosalind’s mother and Camilla’s maternal grandmother.
While the family maintained a property in London throughout Camilla’s childhood, she has often spoken about The Laines as being her true home, once describing it as “perfect in every way.”
Camilla, who grew up with a sister, Annabel, and brother, Mark, attended school in the local area and took part in all manner of countryside pursuits as a child, developing a particular passion for equestrian activities, including the local Pony Club, where she was something of a star.
Biographer and royals expert Gyles Brandreth previously described Camilla’s childhood as being particularly idyllic, while also noting that her parents enjoyed a very privileged lifestyle that was passed down to their kids.
“The Shands had position and they had help—help in the house, help in the garden, help with children,” Brandreth wrote in his 2007 book, “Charles & Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair.”
“They were gentry. They opened their garden for the local Conservative Party Association summer fête. Enough said.”
Major Shand and his wife continued to reside in the property long after their children had flown the nest—up until Rosalind died in 1994. In 1997, the home was sold to British actor James Wilby.
According to The Argus, the dwelling was put on the market again 20 years later for about $4.4 million, marking only the second time in more than six decades that it had been publicly listed.
While The Laines was certainly an idyllic place to grow up, it somewhat pales in comparison to the extraordinary properties that Camilla and Charles call home today—including their stunning primary residence, Clarence House.
The historic London townhouse is located just a few blocks from Buckingham Palace and has long served as Charles’ home base in the British capital. It was gifted to the couple in 2003, after Queen Elizabeth II‘s mother, who had previously resided there, died.
That dwelling is one of many in the couple’s shared property portfolio, which also includes the Balmoral Estate in Scotland, Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, and Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, a dwelling that has long been considered Charles’ favorite place to spend time.
Elsewhere in her interview on “Today,” Camilla gushed about the warm welcome that she and Charles received upon their arrival in the U.S., although she noted that, while their schedule had been “good fun,” it had also been somewhat of a whirlwind for them.
“It’s been wonderful, and everybody’s been very kind and welcoming,” she continued. “Well, it’s always a pleasure to be here. Always, always lovely to be back in New York again.”
During their official visit to the U.S., the couple spent time in Washington, DC, where Charles gave a speech to Congress before the couple attended a state dinner with President Trump and Melania Trump, and Virginia, where they visited the Arlington Cemetery.
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