Camilla joins Helena Bonham Carter and Stephen Fry to celebrate historic library

The Queen dined with actress Helena Bonham Carter and presenter and comedian Sir Stephen Fry to celebrate the work of 184-year-old literary institution The London Library.

Camilla, the library’s patron, and guests, who also included lyricist Sir Tim Rice and former British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman, gathered in its atmospheric book-filled Reading Room on Tuesday evening.

In a speech, Sir Stephen thanked the Queen, who is a passionate supporter of literacy charities and set up her own Instagram book group, The Queen’s Reading Room, for her devotion to promoting a love of reading.

“Thank you for your patronage, your support not just of The London Library, but of your support for books and writing everywhere,” he said.

“Just like The Queen’s Reading Room, this library is open and welcoming to all.

“Here we are, all equal citizens of the great kingdom of letters, the realm of reading, and here the highest possible doctrine is held for the value of books, the value of collections, the value of a sanctuary… where anybody who loves books is made to feel at home.”

The London Library houses around one million volumes available to borrow, and well-known members have included Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Bram Stoker, Virginia Woolf, EM Forster, Daphne du Maurier, TS Eliot and Ian Fleming.

She thanked Camilla for continuing the long line of royal patrons.

The Queen took on the role in 2024, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II, after serving as its vice-patron since 2012.

Current writers who are members of the independent library, in St James’s Square in central London, include Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, Sir Tom Stoppard, Raymond Antrobus, Sir Simon Schama, Jessie Burton and Sarah Waters.