Duchess Camilla 'delighted' by positive response to her sweet present for UK schoolchildren

The Duchess of Cornwall had special boxes sent to over 25,000 children across the country in celebration of her 75th birthday in July

Duchess Camilla 'delighted' by positive response to her sweet present for UK schoolchildren
(Image credit: Getty)

Duchess Camilla says she's 'delighted' by the positive reaction to the gift she sent to schoolchildren across the UK in celebration of her 75th birthday last July. 


Duchess Camilla has revealed she's 'delighted' by the warm response to the gift she sent to thousands of schoolchildren across the UK, in celebration of her 75th birthday last month. 

The future Queen Consort launched her Birthday Books scheme at Millbrook Primary School in South Wales on July 6, as part of a project to encourage youth between the ages of 4 and 11 to read more for pleasure. The initiative saw Camilla pledge to send 'mini libraries' to 75 of the country's most disadvantaged primary schools, in the hope of sharing her passion for literature with children from lower-income backgrounds. 

Within a few weeks of the campaign's launch, over 25,000 pupils had been given access to the special 'kinderboxes'. 

Speaking to the Mirror on Wednesday, Camilla gushed about the success of the Birthday Books scheme so far. 

Camilla

(Image credit: Getty)

"I am delighted that so many schools will benefit from this wonderful legacy of mini-libraries and I’d love to see more children benefit from reading books like these to improve children’s wellbeing long into the future," she said. 

"The Duchess’s Birthday Books kinderboxes are full of titles that promise endless adventure, comfort, excitement, and joy to young readers." The sweet donation comes over a year after the launch of Camilla's Reading Room, a virtual book club inspired by her lifelong devotion to fiction. 

"We all know the power of a good book and the impact it can have on reading and writing skills, as well as wellbeing." 

Duchess Camilla's conviction in the importance of kids reading has been echoed by Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust. 

"1 in 8 primary schools in England do not have a library, and this jumps to 1 in 4 for schools with a higher proportion of children on free school meals," he revealed. "The Primary School Library Alliance has already worked with 334 primary schools like Millbrook to transform their library space, which will have a long-lasting positive effect on their wellbeing and their chances of doing well in life." 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.