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New photograph marks Queen’s 79th birthday
Buckingham Palace has released a new photograph of Queen Camilla to mark her 79th birthday, alongside a literacy initiative aimed at children across the UK. The announcement highlights the Queen’s continuing public focus on reading and follows her work through the Reading Room charity and other children’s literacy programmes.
Every Year 6 and P6 pupil will receive a special edition of Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures this Christmas, distributed through schools and libraries. The scheme, run with the National Literacy Trust as part of the National Year of Reading 2026, will include a personal message from the Queen; the birthday photograph was taken last month at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.
In short
- Queen Camilla’s 79th birthday was marked with a new official photograph.
- UK Year 6 and P6 pupils will receive Impossible Creatures.
- The initiative supports the National Year of Reading 2026.
Explained simply
Queen Camilla is the wife of King Charles III and has made children's reading a central focus of her public work. She founded the Reading Room charity to help disadvantaged young people access books and develop literacy skills.
Reading skills developed in childhood are linked to educational achievement and future opportunities, which is why literacy initiatives receive significant public support. The National Literacy Trust is a major UK charity working with schools and libraries to improve reading levels among young people.
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a coordinated campaign bringing together government bodies, charities, schools, and public figures to promote reading across the UK. Such national initiatives typically include book distribution schemes and partnerships designed to make reading accessible to children regardless of background.