Camilla wanted to be French heroine with adventures in court of Louis XIV

The Queen has told how she yearned as a young girl to be a beautiful French woman who ends up in the court of the 17th century Sun King, Louis XIV.

Camilla, who was crowned Queen last year alongside her husband the King, recalled the first grown up book she ever read, as she appeared on the new season of The Queen’s Reading Room podcast.

“I can remember a book called Angelique which was written by a woman called Anne Golon, which is about this beautiful French woman who went through a series of completely mad adventures,” the Queen said.

Camilla reading a book in the children’s reading space with Book Aid International at Eastlands Library in Nairobi (Chris Jackson/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Chris Jackson

“At one point she landed up in the court of the Sun King Louis XIV. I think I must have probably been about 11 or 12. It was incredibly exciting.

“We all wanted to look like her. She was beautiful. I remember it was green eyes, this long golden hair. We all yearned to be Angelique.

“I think they’re still going now but I think that was the first sort of grown up read I took in.”

The Angelique saga, which is said to have sold more 150 million copies worldwide, is a series of more than a dozen French historical adventure novels set in the 17th century which follow the adventures of its eponymous heroine.

The Queen’s Reading Room was formed from a book club set up by Camilla during the Covid-19 pandemic to celebrate the power and benefits of reading, and relaunched as a charity in 2023.

The second season of its podcast began on Monday with Stardust and American Gods author Neil Gaiman.

But Camilla, an avid reader who has long promoted the importance of reading through her charity work, appears briefly at the start to speak about her first encounter with a grown up book.