Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Shares Childhood Memories of Reading with Her Father

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall's love of reading goes back to childhood — and she has her father to thank for it.

The royal, 73, recently launched her own book club on Instagram called The Reading Room, and she's spent the past several weeks sharing insight into one of her favorite pastimes.

On Wednesday, she shared that her father, Major Bruce Shand, inspired her love of books and reading.

"I think it certainly came from my father, he was probably the best-read man I've come across, anywhere," Camilla said in a video shared to her new Instagram account. "I mean, he devoured books. And so, he read to us, as children. He chose the books, and we listened. And I think it was the love of books, was ingrained in us, because you know, it was there from such an early age. 

RELATED: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Has a Subtle Nod to Queen Elizabeth in Her Reading Room

In December, Camilla launched The Reading Room, which is dedicated to "discover[ing] new books and meet[ing] the extraordinary people who create them."

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The royal, who is the wife of Prince Charles, kicked off season one of the initiative with four titles: The Mirror and The Light by Hilary Mantel, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Restless by William Boyd and The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak.

The creation of the Duchess of Cornwall's Reading Room was inspired by the positive response to her book recommendations to help people through quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. Get a taste of the podcast below.

"Ernest Hemingway, famously, once said, 'There is no friend as loyal as a book.' In these challenging times when we are isolated from the ones we love, many of us are finding comfort in reading, to fire up our imaginations, to take us on journeys and to make us laugh," the royal said in a statement. "With that in mind here is a list of my dearest 'friends.' "

Source: Read Full Article