Queen Camilla is reminiscing a dear friend of hers.
On Saturday, October 11, the 78-year-old British Queen Consort officially opened the 2025 Cliveden Literary Festival, where she hosted a reception for authors, festival supporters, charity partners, and students from the London Academy of Excellence.
The Cliveden Literary Festival, also known as the most glamorous literary festival in the world, is an annual event held at Cliveden House – a historic country estate in England – which brings together famous authors, journalists, historians, and thinkers to talk about books, culture, politics, and ideas.
While opening the event, Queen Camilla delivered a heartwarming speech, in which she fondly mentioned her late friend Dame Jilly Cooper – an English author and journalist who passed away earlier this month on October 5.
During the address, Camilla recalled the time she was at a party with Dame a few years ago, when she told her: “I’m going to get absolutely plastered tonight, darling. I love you so much, I want to see two of you.”
The Queen added: “Dear Jilly, how we’d love to see just one of you here today.”
Queen Camilla, who lived in the same neighbourhood as Dame Jilly Cooper, bonded with the late author over their mutual love for books, literature and dogs.
The two saw each other at events connected to reading and writing, which helped build their friendship.
