Queen Camilla’s book club, a favorite among prominent figures like Dame Judi Dench and Richard E. Grant, now has the endorsement of Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
Queen Mathilde, 51, recently shared her top three book picks with The Queen’s Reading Room, including the 600-page bestseller The Burgundians by Bart Van Loo.
This novel delves into the lives of ambitious aristocrats, family conflicts, betrayal, fierce battles, and opulence set in the Middle Ages.
Describing The Burgundians, Queen Mathilde said, “Belgian author Bart Van Loo brings the evocative Middle Ages to life with a colorful, entertaining style, revealing how the dukes of Burgundy shaped the Low Countries—Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and northern France. Don’t be deterred by the 600 pages; this book reads like a thriller.”
Her other recommendations include A Celebration of the Everyday by Colette Nys-Mazure, which she calls “a wonderful book that encourages us to appreciate life’s small moments,” and Those Who Forget by Géraldine Schwarz.
Queen Mathilde noted, “This book invites reflection on how nations address collective guilt and memory, making it perfect for discussion among family and friends.”
Queen Mathilde, who attended Buckingham Palace on International Women’s Day in March and joined Queen Camilla in 2022 to raise awareness for UN initiatives against gender violence, becomes the third royal guest to curate for The Queen’s Reading Room. Both the King and the Princess of Wales have previously shared book recommendations with the charity, which began as an Instagram book club in January 2021.
Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room, expressed her excitement, saying, “Receiving a book recommendation from Queen Mathilde is a wonderful gift. Since becoming an international charity, The Queen’s Reading Room now reaches people in 170 countries, focusing on connecting readers to books that enrich lives and improve wellbeing.”
The charity aims to celebrate the impact of reading by providing year-round free educational content, helping people around the world to connect with literature that enhances their lives.
