The "Unusual" Hobby Enjoyed by Queen Camilla Until Tragedy Struck in 2024
The Queen recently revealed the unexpected activity in a personal letter to an author.


Much has been written about the hobbies enjoyed by members of the Royal Family. For instance, Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles, shared that his mom and her husband, King Charles, are "deeply competitive" when it comes to mushroom foraging. The Queen is also a huge fan of ballet, but once injured herself during a "Silver Swans" class. Now, it's been revealed that Camilla used to enjoy a slightly "unusual" hobby, but that sadly may have changed in 2024, per the Express.
Author David Seow has revealed that he sent a copy of his book, The Royal Pup Pack: Catastrophe At The Palace, to Queen Camilla via Buckingham Palace.
The author took to Instagram to share a letter he received from Camilla, dated November 4, 2024, which said, "Many thanks for your kind letter and for sending me a copy of your new book, which I much look forward to reading." She continued, "Please keep writing—the world needs authors and artists!" Camilla then signed the letter by hand, and wrote a personal note underneath, saying, "My dogs enjoyed it too!"
A post shared by David Seow (@kidsauthordavidseow)
A photo posted by on
Unfortunately, Camilla was left "heartbroken" in November as her beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Beth, died. According to People, Beth "had an untreatable tumor and had to be put down." As a result, Camilla's "unusual" hobby of reading to her dogs may have been placed on pause.
Queen Camilla and King Charles shared news of Beth's death on Instagram, writing, "A sad farewell to Beth, The Queen’s much-loved companion from @Battersea Dogs and Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties, or curled up by the fire." Although The King and Queen lost Beth, whom they adopted in 2011, they still own a second Jack Russell named Bluebell.
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)
A photo posted by on
Camilla is such a fan of reading that she launched a book club during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently created a charity, The Queen's Reading Room, dedicated to encouraging people to engage with books.
At an event celebrating the 70th anniversary of Book Aid International in September, Queen Camilla shared her love of reading in an impromptu speech. "I have visited quite a lot of countries on my travels and I have been to libraries which have been recipients of Book Aid, and I have just seen the joy on the children's faces when they receive these books," she told attendees (via the Daily Mail). "And if we can keep on doing this all over the world, we're going to make a very, very big difference to people reading books, children getting access to books—and it's really thanks to Book Aid and all of you here who have made this possible."
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.
-
In 'Sinners,' Music From the Past Liberates Us From the Present
In its musical moments, Ryan Coogler's vampire blockbuster makes a powerful statement about Black culture, ancestry, and art.
By Quinci LeGardye
-
Kendall Jenner Has the Last Word on the Best Travel Shoes
Leave your ballet flats in your checked bag.
By Halie LeSavage
-
Prince Harry Gave Nephew Prince Louis an Extremely Rare Five-Figure Gift for His Christening
Uncle Harry for the gifting win.
By Kristin Contino
-
Actress Reveals that Queen Camilla "Stormed Out" of a Dinner After King Charles Made "Sexy" Comments
Soap star Carli Norris shared the hilarious story in a new interview.
By Kristin Contino
-
How Princess Kate and Prince William are Following in The King and Queen's Footsteps With Surprise Anniversary Celebration
The Prince and Princess of Wales will mark their 14th anniversary on April 29.
By Kristin Contino
-
King Charles and Queen Camilla Are "Greatly Moved" Over Pope Francis Granting Them a Private Audience Before His Death
The King and Queen shared they had "heavy hearts" over the pope's death.
By Kristin Contino
-
Queen Camilla Uses a "Signal" from Queen Elizabeth's Playbook to Get King Charles to Shut Up When He "Talks For Too Long"
Royal author Robert Hardman said "tours don't go nearly as well" when Queen Camilla isn't "around."
By Kristin Contino
-
Former Royal Butler Shares "Sweet" Reason Why Working With King Charles and Queen Camilla on Easter Was a "Disaster"
Grant Harrold revealed how The King and Queen treated their staff during the holiday.
By Kristin Contino
-
Palace Employees Reveal They've "All Tried" to Get King Charles to "Slow Down" Amid Cancer Treatment
"Now he wants to do more and more and more. That's the problem."
By Amy Mackelden
-
Prince William and Princess Kate’s Rarely Seen Family Member Stars in a Special Instagram Post Marking a Royal First
The Prince and Princess of Wales celebrated "joy" on a sweet holiday.
By Kristin Contino
-
King Charles and Queen Camilla Experienced a Hilarious Self-Tan Incident That Caused Butler to Take "A Week Off"
Camilla "said it was awful," according to former royal butler Grant Harrold.
By Kristin Contino