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Queen Camilla gave her final verdict on the US trip in a personal message during a rare TV interview and discussed her passion for reading with host Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former US president George W. Bush, during her visit to the New York Public Library.
At the library, Camilla attended an event linked to her Reading Room charity, read an excerpt of Winnie the Pooh to schoolchildren and also presented a Roo doll to add to the library's Winnie-the-Pooh toys collection.
While addressing friends and supports of her charity, the queen revealed that the first Americans she met and adored were through books, as she highlighted the significance of reading.
"The first Americans I knew and loved were the characters I met in my treasured children's novels: Little Women, What Katy Did, Charlotte’s Web… I knew, even then, that books are the best friend you can have," she said.
Moreover, the queen told Bush Hager that the state visit had been "good fun", adding, "It's been wonderful, and everybody's been very kind and welcoming. Well, it's always a pleasure to be here. Always, always lovely to be back in New York again."
When asked to share a message to America on the 250th anniversary of the nation, Camilla noted, "Well, I'd like to say, keep reading. I think it's very important, and you know, specialist statistics are showing reading is falling in children. We've got to find a way of bringing it up."
King Charles and Queen Camilla have concluded their four-day visit to the US, with Charles meeting one of the area's indigenous communities and Camilla visiting a farm to highlight the work of America's horse racing industry.
