Author Who Backed Queen Camilla's Reading Charity Says "It's Nothing Personal" But Monarchy Is No Longer "Appropriate"
Philippa Gregory—who "made a fortune" from historical royal novels—spoke out in a recent radio interview.
Queen Camilla has long been a supporter of authors and books, taking her Queen's Reading Room project from an Instagram book club to a full-fledged charity. The Queen promotes literacy around the world and often hosts literature events, including the annual Queen's Reading Room Festival. But one bestselling British author who has participated in the Reading Room charity recently made remarks about the monarchy being inappropriate for "modern" times.
Per the Daily Mail's Eden Confidential column, Philippa Gregory—famous for her historical royal novels like The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen—made the comments on the U.K.'s Radio 3 "Private Passions" program.
Despite her participation in The Queen's charitable endeavors, Gregory shared her hesitations about the monarchy. "I just don't think it's really appropriate in the modern world, and I object if it's particularly expensive," she said.
Queen Camilla frequently attends literacy-related events.
Gregory has participated in Camilla's charitable works on several occasions. In 2023, she attended a reception at Clarence House for members of the literary community to celebrate the second anniversary of the Reading Room charity, and she took part in the launch of the Queen's Reading Room Festival later that year. Gregory also served as a judge for The Queen's Commonwealth Writing Competition in 2024.
The Daily Mail notes that Gregory "made a fortune through her Plantagenet and Tudor novels," not to mention the TV and film adaptations of the titles. But it seems the British author prefers the Royal Family to stay in the past.
Although she doesn't agree with the concept of a modern monarchy, Gregory admitted that The Queen has made a significant impact on the literary community in the U.K. "What Queen Camilla has done for reading, and for literature and for literacy in this country is really, really significant," the author said.
Actors Rebecca Ferguson, James Frain and author Philippa Gregory attend The British Consulate's toast of the U.S. launch of the Starz original series The White Queen in 2013.
However, Gregory doubled down on her earlier remarks, sharing, "It's nothing personal, it's not about them personally, but I just don't know that in a mature democracy we need a royal family."
The author's comments come after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19. The former Duke of York's arrest has given new fuel to the debate over whether he should be removed from the line of succession, with both Australia and New Zealand backing any proposed plans.
