Queen Camilla turns to the power of books as Charles Spencer reopens painful chapters of Diana’s past
As Charles Spencer prepares to publish his deeply personal memoir about his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen Camilla has put the spotlight firmly on a subject she has championed for years: the power of reading.
The timing has drawn attention. Spencer’s Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is due to be published on September 22, 2026, nearly three decades after Diana’s death and amid renewed scrutiny of the relationship between Diana, King Charles III and Camilla.
Against that backdrop, Camilla spent Saturday, September 19, celebrating literature at The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House, where she spoke about the lasting influence books can have on people’s lives.
Camilla announces new BBC documentary
Camilla’s appearance at the festival coincided with the announcement of a new BBC documentary, The Book That Changed My Life.
The programme will follow the Queen as she meets four people from different backgrounds whose lives have been changed by books at significant moments. The documentary is expected to air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on October 14, 2026, although the BBC has said the date remains subject to confirmation in its weekly television schedules.
The programme forms part of the National Year of Reading 2026, a nationwide campaign intended to encourage people of all ages to rediscover reading.
“There is nothing in the world like reading,” Camilla said as details of the documentary were shared.
The Queen has long spoken about her belief in the benefits of literature. At the festival, she explained the thinking behind her Reading Room initiative.
“I created my Reading Room simply because, like all of us here, I love books and their life-enhancing power and I want to share that love with others,” she said.
The BBC documentary will explore that idea through personal stories of people who found comfort, inspiration, connection or a new perspective through books. It will also examine growing scientific evidence concerning the relationship between reading, health and wellbeing.
A literary appearance as Spencer’s memoir approaches
Camilla’s focus on books comes just days before the publication of Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Charles Spencer’s memoir about his late sister.
Spencer, the ninth Earl Spencer, is set to publish the book on Tuesday, September 22. The 384-page memoir looks back at Diana’s childhood, her marriage to the then Prince Charles, the breakdown of that relationship and the events surrounding her death in August 1997.
The memoir has already attracted considerable attention because of Spencer’s recollections of the period surrounding Diana’s death and his account of conversations with the future King.
Among the claims reported from the book is Spencer’s account of a heated telephone conversation with the then Prince of Wales over the decision for Princes William and Harry to walk behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession.
According to Spencer’s account, he strongly opposed the idea and later described Charles as becoming extremely angry during their exchange. He also alleges that Charles made a dismissive comment about Diana, saying, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.”
Buckingham Palace has responded to the controversy, saying that grief can affect memory and perception. Spencer has rejected that explanation and publicly defended his recollection of the events.
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Camilla and Diana’s complicated history
Camilla’s name is inevitably connected to the story Spencer tells.
Her relationship with Charles was a central part of the history surrounding his marriage to Diana. Charles and Diana married in 1981 and divorced in 1996, while Diana died in a Paris car crash in August 1997 at the age of 36.
Spencer’s memoir revisits many of those years from the perspective of Diana’s brother. The book is described by its publishers as an intimate account of Diana’s life and the final period before and after her death.
The publication comes as interest in Diana’s life remains strong, particularly with the 30th anniversary of her death approaching in 2027. Spencer has said the memoir is intended to offer his personal account of his sister and preserve his memories of the woman he knew away from the public image surrounding her.
Books remain Camilla’s focus
Rather than directly addressing the claims surrounding Spencer’s memoir, Camilla used her appearance at the Reading Room Festival to continue promoting literature.
She also unveiled four autumn selections for The Queen’s Reading Room Book Club: Finding Belle by Reeta Chakrabarti, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Whistler by Ann Patchett and Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore.
During the festival, Camilla spoke with Ian Kirby, one of the people featured in the forthcoming BBC documentary. Kirby, from Gateshead, has described how joining a local book club and reading the autobiography of local boxing champion Glenn McCrory helped him find a new perspective after falling into depression following a traumatic incident at home.
The documentary will feature stories like Kirby’s to explore how reading can provide hope, companionship and inspiration during difficult periods.
At the festival, Camilla also met literary figures including author Lee Child and Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak. She appeared alongside journalist Reeta Chakrabarti and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth as the event celebrated the continuing work of The Queen’s Reading Room.
The Queen’s literary project was first launched several years ago and has since developed into a broader initiative promoting reading internationally. Camilla previously described its purpose as sharing her lifelong belief that books can make life better.
Swan Song brings Diana’s story back into focus
Spencer’s memoir is expected to add another personal perspective to one of the most closely examined chapters of the modern royal family.
In September 1997, Spencer delivered the widely remembered eulogy for Diana at Westminster Abbey. Nearly 30 years later, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister returns to his memories of their childhood, their close relationship and the events surrounding the final weeks of Diana’s life.
With the book arriving on September 22 and Camilla’s BBC documentary scheduled for October 14, both developments have placed books and personal stories at the centre of the royal conversation this autumn.
For Camilla, however, the message she delivered at Chatsworth remained focused on literature itself: books, she said, have the power to change lives.
