Duchess of Cornwall to read Dickens' Christmas classic on social media

The Duchess of Cornwall will read extracts of Charles Dickens’ festive classic A Christmas Carol in a series published on social media set to run over the 12 days of Christmas.

The series, broadcast via @DuchessofCornwallsReadingRoom on Instagram, will begin on Christmas Day, with the Prince of Wales reading stave one of the famous story in which misanthrope Ebenezer Scrooge rediscovers the magic of Christmas.

Other contributors will include Miriam Margolyes, Paterson Joseph, Sir Derek Jacobi, Simon Callow, Stephen Mangan and Bridgette Amofah.

The Dickens Museum has produced a PDF version of A Christmas Carol to download for free via The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room for listeners to read along at home.

In a video introducing the series, the duchess said: “A Christmas Carol is a story which in so many ways begun Christmas as we know it today.

“It follows themes of love, kindness, compassion and tolerance, and it speaks to the heart.”

The Prince of Wales urged listeners to join him and Camilla as they, along with “a little help from some friends”, shared Charles Dickens’ “wonderful story”.

The duchess said she hoped listeners would join them on this “literary journey”, adding: “May it haunt your houses pleasantly and may we wish each and every one of you a very happy Christmas.”

Echoing the words of one of the fable’s best-loved characters, the Prince of Wales said: “God bless us, every one.”

The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room, an online literary hub, was launched in January 2021, inspired by the success of the duchess’s reading lists shared during the pandemic in 2020.

It offers book recommendations and exclusive insight from the authors themselves.