Today is Queen Camilla’s 79th birthday. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s such a strange astrological phenomenon that Camilla, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince George are all Cancers. The fact that Camilla and William share a star sign possibly explains their chaotic kinship too. Anyway, Buckingham Palace released a new portrait of Camilla for her birthday. An announcement was made as well.
A new photograph of Queen Camilla has been released to celebrate her 79th birthday. The picture, showing the Queen in a long blue dress, was taken last month in the state drawing room of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen was marking her birthday with a renewed commitment to supporting children’s literacy, with the announcement that every year 6 and P6 child across the UK will be gifted a special edition of the book Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell this Christmas.
Much of the Queen’s public work supports reading and literacy, including the creation of the Reading Room charity designed to promote the benefits of reading.
Rundell’s book will be distributed to children through schools and libraries. Each copy will contain a personal message from the Queen, who describes it as a “brilliant fantasy that will introduce you to a host of mythical friends and terrifying enemies”. The new UK book gifting and reading programme has been announced in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, which has the Queen as its patron. The programme is part of the National Year of Reading 2026, which aims to inspire the joy of reading and embed it in daily life.
One free book? Dolly Parton created a whole-ass Imagination Library where any child can get free books every month, and Camilla is giving out one free book for Christmas and that’s it? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth (heh), but Camilla could do much more. She chooses not to. What do you think her birthday plans are this year? A quiet weekend at Ray Mill, far away from Charles?
Happy Birthday to The Queen! 🎊
Her Majesty has marked her birthday with a renewed commitment to supporting children’s literacy, with the announcement that every Year 6 and P6 child across the UK will be gifted a special edition of the bestselling book ‘Impossible Creatures’… pic.twitter.com/JBzI6WMdW6
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 17, 2026
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Chris Jackson for Buckingham Palace.
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- HARTFIELD, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Queen Camilla during her visit to Ashdown Forest to commemorate 100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh at Ashdown Forest on July 07, 2026 in Hartfield, England. Ashdown Forest was the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie-the-Pooh children’s books. The Queen visited the forest in her role as patron of the Royal Literary Fund.,Image: 1115013544, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Chris Jackson/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla helps pack a book for delivery with packer Jay Lomot Macam during a visit to the Heywood Hill independent bookshop in central London, marking the store’s 90th anniversary. Picture date: Tuesday July 14, 2026. PA Photo.,Image: 1116676868, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Yui Mok/Avalon
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- Queen Camilla, President of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, cuts a cake as she hosts a reception to mark 40 years of the charity, at Clarence House, London. The Queen has championed the work of the Royal Osteoporosis Society since 1994, after seeing her own mother suffering with the disease, which resulted in her early death at the age of 72. Picture date: Wednesday July 15, 2026.,Image: 1116695101, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
She’s not The Queen and she never will be.
She will always be Queen Side Chick.
Mistress tampon queen
All it looks like she got a brow and and eyelid lift
Eh I’m not going to hate on the free book. She could absolutely do more but at least this is “something” tangible, since usually the royals act like their birthdays are gifts to the country. So for the BRF, this is a small step forward, even though it looks like the book is coming from the national literacy trust – Camilla isn’t spending her personal money on it lol but hey, low expectations and all that.
Otherwise….that blue is a nice color in general. That’s all I’ve got lol.
Ya I agree. For sure it could be more, but it’s still a good thing.
Camilla’s “personal” money largely comes from Chuck, and that money is either tainted or from the public. So I think it is especially gross that these people do not do more with their ill-gotten gain. She gets to look like a good person while hoarding her personal stash. Judging the crap out of this.
That’s fair, but QEII never did anything even remotely like this. so I am coming at it from the perspective of “well its something, which is better than nothing.” The bar is in hell at this point for these people.
Shemp gave out signed photographs of himself as presents in the Three Stooges short Who Done It? (1949). The BRF follows that practice. https://www.newsweek.com/prince-edward-sophie-wessex-criticism-caribbean-photograph-saint-lucia-1700467
Here, the narcissistic giveaway is elevated to a book that may make a perfectly adequate and useful coaster, a paperweight, a doorstop, or, properly modified, catbox lining.
Amen.
Lots of airbrushing. Why a portrait every year for her.
Seriously. This looks like every other dress she’s ever worn and every other picture of her. Why waste the time and money on a photo shoot?
I’m reminded of the hideous nylon zipper-front robes that we all had when I was a kid–my mother, my sister, and me. I bet Camilla’s is silk so it feels nicer, but it’s basically the same style.
Giving away a book is a nice idea and although it’s not as much as Dolly Parton’s programme, it’s more than other British royals have done for their birthdays.
Yeah, a free book is a free book, so yay for that. And all British kids in that age group get one, so that’s good. Didn’t Katkiekins hide ONE book–the COVID photo book put out by the National Gallery–out in the wild? ONE.
Credit where’s it’s due, this is a good thing. We’re (fairly) well provisioned for libraries in the UK, but having your own book is an equaliser for literacy. Going by the current numbers of nearly 4.5M pupils in primary school that’s approximately 640,000 books if there’s one for every Year 6 pupil.
All that Cancer energy and Charles is a Scorpio on top. Holy melodrama, Batman. No wonder the tone of their pap leaks is always so “How COULD HE!? So and so is SO HURT by this!” every time Harry does something.
321 meghan getting that Emmy nomination distracts from camillas good deed and her birthday. Oh the outrage. Maybe d m already has this
For sure a weekend away at Ray Mill for the birthday. But ummm, pretty sure that’s just every weekend.
Not a fan of Camilla for all the reasons frequently raised on this site but she is a serious reader. On her trip to Australia she referenced recent books by contemporary Australian authors that she had read. So unlike her step DIL and illiterate stepson, she is extremely well read and I think using her platform as Queen to promote reading is positive and genuine, unlike the vapid Early Years nonsense or the paltry prizes handed out to Earthshot winners.
Yeah, that’s where I land on all this.
What are the chances Charles is going to want to make a big deal out of Camilla’s 80th birthday?
Wasn’t that already discussed at length? Charles is disgruntled that the Invictus Games, which end on July 17, will take away attention from Camilla’s big day! You really can’t expect him to go to the games when he has to decorate the house! Maybe he should ask Carol if she has some party pieces stored and watch WLM learning how to make balloon arcs?
Buy a better bra, Camilla, FFS.
Why are her breast always in line with her elbows? Sophie too? I’m not saying they should be up high and perky, but damn, at least tighten the straps a bit.
Her birthday portrait looks no different to her coronation photo.
I notice they’re not letting Kate take her official photos any more.
Any child can’t get free books from Dolly. The kid has to be from an area with poverty.
This is not accurate. The Imagination Library works via local community partnerships and availability depends on whether local program partner serves the child’s address. Ohio has statewide coverage, so every Ohio child under five is eligible regardless of family income. Parents simply have to enroll. Virtually everyone I know with kids under 5 is enrolled in this.
Its by zip code. You can check program availability by going to their website. So for example it is not available in my area but it is in my parent’s area (my parents area is very wealthy, but a lot of the wealthy people are older with no kids, ie they retire there or have summer homes there. so I think that plays a role too, the average income of families with children.)
I think in general now its more about servicing programs like you said, but at its inception it was about income levels in zip codes.
Every time I’ve looked at it it’s by zip code.
Its available for my zip code and the median income is $123,000 USD
No interest in her or her birthday, but loving the cat on the couch/sofa. Meow.
Happy birthday, Camilla! A whole new year in your life. It’s never too late to be a better person or buy a better bra or stop wearing those odious zip front house dresses. Perhaps you can enjoy a birthday shag with TPB, your true love.
TPB is her son. I think you mean APB.
@Quite Contrary, totally agree. I have been begging Cam to get good bras for years, to no avail. Even though I think bra shopping is the shopping trip from hell. I give her no quarter. She is let out of the barn often enough she could go get one, or do like her niece in law (Fergie) and get online. I do agree about books. I am a biblioholic, and probably books saved my life and helped form it, and when I see younger people struggling to find words to express themselves, I want to suggest they bury their nose in a book every day. I still remember reading The Hound of the Baskervilles under the sheets with a flashlight when I was little. I simply couldn’t put it down. At any rate, she has every reason to smile, she lives in her own beautiful house with security and servants, and doesn’t have to live with her extremely grumpy husband, doesn’t have to do much, has the title of Queen, even though many or most people give her alternate titles, and is very wealthy, and set up for when Charles passes. Who does live with Charles?
Such a travesty that this person, who stole Diana’s rightful place as wife and queen, smilingly celebrates her 79th birthday, while the beautiful Diana was vanquished at 36. Prince Harry is far better than I would be. He actually permitted that witch to be with his dogshit father when they met for one hour recently. I couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate that. Harry literally has the patience and goodness of a saint. And I’ve never said that about anyone before.