Queen Camilla visited Bedford Square today to meet authors shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, one day before tomorrow's award ceremony.
The visit marked the 30th anniversary of the the prestigious award.
Her Majesty met with shortlisted writers from both prize categories during the special event. The gathering also brought together authors, judges and previous Fiction Prize winners from the past three decades.
The Women's Prize Trust, which runs both awards, works to create opportunities for women writers and improve access to women's writing. The organisation supports writers at all stages of their careers.
Camilla attended the 30th anniversary of the Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction.
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A special one-off literary honour was created to mark the anniversary - the Women's Prize Outstanding Contribution Award.
The Queen met the recently announced recipient, novelist Bernardine Evaristo, who received the prize in recognition of her significant impact on the world of literature.
During the visit, Her Majesty had the opportunity to engage with various members of the literary community.
The event brought together a diverse group of writers and industry professionals, celebrating three decades of recognising women's contributions to fiction.
Camilla praised the prize for 'transforming the literary landscape for women' during her speech.
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The Women's Prize for Fiction has been honouring female authors since its inception 30 years ago.
Camilla surprised booksellers at a Waterstones pop-up shop before proceeding to the main tent.
Author Kate Mosse invited Her Majesty onto the stage, where she delivered a speech celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Women's Prize for Fiction.
During her speech, Camilla celebrated awards for “transforming the literary landscape for women.”
She began in the year of the prize’s foundation, 1995, that “60% of novels in the UK were written by women but made up just 9% of books shortlisted for major prizes.”
The celebration served as a prelude to tomorrow's award ceremony, where the winners of both the Fiction and Non-Fiction prizes will be announced.
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“Faced with these figures, a brave and determined group, led by Kate Mosse, decided that something needed to change. They believed that women’s stories should be truly heard, understood and honoured,” the Queen continued.
“This simple, but radical, step brought the female voice from the margins of the literary world to its very centre. Three decades later, your achievements are impressive.
“Three decades later, your achievements are impressive. Budding authors have benefitted from the wisdom of those who have trodden the same path. Careers have been launched, bestsellers have flown off the shelves into the hands and hearts of the public, and each year you distribute 3,000 books to people in need.
Camilla concluded with the joyous declaration: “Happy birthday, congratulations and thank you to every one of you who has been involved over the last 30 years. And the best of British luck to all our wonderful finalists tomorrow!”
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The Queen has long been a supporter of British literature.
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The event served as a prelude to tomorrow's award ceremony, where the winners of both the Fiction and Non-Fiction prizes will be announced.
Queen Camilla has long championed literacy initiatives across the UK. She serves as Patron of several literacy organisations, including the National Literacy Trust, First Story, Coram Beanstalk and Booktrust
In 2021, Her Majesty established The Queen's Reading Room, a charity dedicated to celebrating and promoting the power and benefits of reading.
The charity has since launched a podcast and an annual festival, now in its third year.
Camilla has previously visited schools, libraries and supported workplace reading schemes.
She first attended the Women's Prize for Fiction Award Ceremony in 2015, presenting the prize to Barbara Kingsolver for The Lacuna.
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