Queen Camilla hailed for helping homeless people find escape through reading

The Queen was told how a large donation of books her reading charity has made to a homelessness charity has had a "profound and transformative impact" on people sleeping rough. Camilla, 77, joined broadcaster Lorraine Kelly and author Elif Shafak on a visit to a St Mungo's accommodation service in South East London today, where she learned how a reading scheme is helping to boost the wellbeing and confidence of those recovering from homelessness.

The Queen's Reading Room, whose groundbreaking research has found that stories and shared reading groups can act as a therapeutic tool in trauma recovery, partnered with St Mungo's in 2024 after a colleague started a book group for people supported by the charity.

It's now an established partnership, and since the beginning of 2025, The Queen's Reading Room has donated hundreds of books to St Mungo's services, as well as bookshelves and a bespoke training toolkit for frontline teams and volunteers to run book clubs for people experiencing homelessness.

By increasing access to books and reading through this partnership, St Mungo's has seen people increase their confidence, boost their wellbeing and even start to engage with support services for the first time, directly impacting people's recovery from homelessness.

During a tour of the centre on Wednesday afternoon, Camilla met with a variety of St Mungo's staff and volunteers, from service managers to complex needs workers and volunteers, who play a vital role in keeping people safe.

She also heard directly from several people supported by the charity about how the reading scheme has helped shape their recovery, with one telling her that their confidence has grown after rediscovering the joy of reading she had as a child.

In the centre's 'Activities Room', a bright high-ceilinged space with large sofas and chairs to curl up with a book, Camilla met people supported by St Mungo's who have taken part in the organisation's shared reading programme.

A large bespoke bookshelf designed by Royal Warrant Holder Woodpecker Joinery features prominently in the room, which is also home to a TV, piano and football table.

Talking to one staff member, the Queen admired the bookcase and the variety of genres available, from Richard Osman to Jeffrey Archer and Danielle Steel, and said: "It is so great that there is something for everyone."

Former client Lee became emotional when he told the Queen that three months earlier, he had been living on the street and found great comfort in reading.

Now living in permanent accommodation thanks to St Mongo's, he said: "Reading helped me so much when I was through the system, because it's scary. And having a book to read is that little bit of an escape, like an oasis from the situation."

Lee, who now runs a weekly creative writing workshop, added: "Reading for me did what getting drunk did for other people. I didn't have to use that escape. I was using stories."

To celebrate today's visit, Camilla donated 20 books based on a 'Book Menu' that each service fills in, reflecting residents' interests and offering a range of books accessible to everyone.

They are all previous reads from her book club, and include popular titles Wuthering Heights, War Horse, A Gentleman in Moscow and Black Beauty.

She took her time stacking the books onto the shelves behind her and said: "Well, we've filled up the bookshelf."

The Queen then chatted to Lorraine about their shared love of reading. "The greatest gift in the world [is reading]", the broadcaster said to the Queen before telling her that she is currently teaching her two-year-old grandaughter to read.

Lorraine added, "I've always got a book in my bag", with Her Majesty nodding and replying: "So have I."

In a short speech to the dozens gathered in the room, Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo's, said the reading scheme has had a "profound and transformative impact" on both residents and clients.

"Through books and reading we have seen people not only engage with the support services, increase their confidence and improve their mental wellbeing; we've also seen them find joy in the experience of entering the worlds created by wonderful authors," she said, adding: "We are deeply grateful for how you have brought the joy and power of books and reading into St Mungo's and to the people we support out of homelessness."

The Queen then gave a few words herself, and said she was "so glad" that her reading room is helping people find escapism.

She said: "Thank you for having me today. I am so glad that my reading room and St Mungo's are working together and getting people reading. I hope the books I've brought today, I hope a lot of people will read them and get interested. "As we know, books do so much for people, it is a wonderful way of escapism and taking them out of their life and into another one. So thank you for all you are doing."

St. Mungo's is one of the leading homelessness charities in England, working directly with people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, providing them with services to find paths away from homelessness for good. Last year St. Mungo's helped more than 28,000 people across 138 services.

The reading scheme has been established in nine of the homeless charity's centres.

Milena, who has been supported by St Mungo's since 2019 and has benefited from the literary scheme, said: "When the first books from The Queen's Reading Room arrived at my St Mungo's accommodation, I was really thrilled.

"Reading has always been a passion of mine since I was a child. I can spend hours reading history books in particular as they help me relate to people and understand my place in the world more.

"I was rough sleeping for a long time before I found St Mungo's. I struggled to find somewhere safe to stay and people would not listen to me. The worst was when I experienced physical abuse and I didn't know who to turn to - I felt worried about my future and my self-esteem was really low.

"This partnership has meant that my confidence has grown. I have rediscovered my joy for reading and I'm even the founder of one of the many book clubs now running in St Mungo's services.

"They are a great way to interact with people and to bond over a love for reading. I'm excited to find out what else I will learn about myself and others as the partnership continues."