Queen Camilla marks 79th birthday by gifting children a special edition book

A new official photograph of Queen Camilla in a blue gown, taken last month at the state drawing room of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, accompanies an announcement that for her 79th birthday she will gift a special edition of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell to every Year 6 and P6 child across the UK this Christmas, Buckingham Palace said.

The palace framed the initiative as a renewed commitment to children’s literacy and announced distribution will take place through schools and public libraries in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, of which the Queen is patron.

Each copy will include a personal message from the Queen describing the novel as a “brilliant fantasy that will introduce you to a host of mythical friends and terrifying enemies.” The book-giving programme forms part of the National Year of Reading 2026, intended to encourage reading as an everyday activity.

Royal engagements cited by the palace underline the focus on reading: last month the Queen met J.K. Rowling at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh to discuss their shared passion for books and the importance of encouraging children to read, and she has supported the BBC’s 500 Words creative writing competition for young people.

Officials said the special editions will be disseminated during the lead-up to Christmas via established education and library channels to reach the target cohort of Year 6 and P6 pupils across the UK.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The gift programme reinforces a long-term royal focus on literacy and leverages institutional reach to place books directly into children’s hands, which can help narrow early reading gaps when combined with school and library support. By partnering with the National Literacy Trust and embedding the effort in the National Year of Reading 2026, the initiative aims both to generate short-term excitement and to sustain reading habits through existing literacy networks.

Cost-effective mass book distribution through schools and libraries is likely to produce measurable uplift in book access, though the programme’s lasting impact will depend on follow-up activities—classroom reading initiatives, trained staff and local library engagement—to convert a gifted book into ongoing reading practice.

Quick Look: What You Need to Know

• Official portrait taken at Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland, released for the Queen’s 79th birthday.
• Every Year 6 and P6 child in the UK will receive a special edition of Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell this Christmas.
• The distribution is led by Buckingham Palace in partnership with the National Literacy Trust as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.