Queen Camilla Attends Big Lunch Event Launching National Year of Reading at British Library

Queen Camilla joined approximately 150 volunteers and pupils at the British Library piazza on the afternoon of June 3, 2026, for The Big Lunch celebration marking the National Year of Reading. She sliced into a cake shaped like Paddington Bear's marmalade sandwich beside a large statue of the bear, who was announced as the 2026 ambassador.

The event took place under multiple marquees on the first weekend of June.

The Big Lunch, established by the Eden Project, invites neighbours across Britain to share food and friendship. Their Majesties launched the 2026 Big Lunch alongside The Big Help Out campaign at Cornwall's Eden Project in March, marking the project's 25th anniversary. Queen Camilla, patron of the National Literacy Trust, explored the library's Fairy Tales exhibition.

She met 12-year-old author Betsy Griffin, who was diagnosed with a rare, inoperable brain tumour at age two and later lost her sight. Betsy Griffin's debut novel "Out Of The Woods" was released by Harper Collins in 2024. Queen Camilla told her, "I hear you wrote a book.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage delivered a short poem on the marquee stage and presented London's newly appointed Young Poet Laureates, 11-year-old Maya and 14-year-old Latifah. " Maya and Latifah, graduates of a National Literacy Trust programme, performed original works written for the occasion. " She thanked volunteers and welcomed Paddington as ambassador.

The National Year of Reading 2026 is a joint venture between the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust. It seeks to reverse a two-decade decline in children's reading enjoyment. The campaign is currently supported by 35,000 volunteers and aims to recruit 100,000.

Queen Camilla also spoke with social media personality Jack Edwards, a campaign ambassador with over 800,000 Instagram followers. Edwards runs the book club Inklings while the Queen hosts The Queen's Reading Room. "I think we're both fans of Elif Shafak, so that's a bonding point for us," Edwards said, noting their shared appreciation for Maggie O'Farrell.