Our Patron
Her Majesty The Queen of the United Kingdom is BookTrust’s Patron.
HRH the Queen at a Life-changing Libraries event. Photo: David Bebber
Her Majesty has been Patron of BookTrust since 2011, when she took over from the Duke of Edinburgh, who stood down after many years in the role. As Patron, The Queen is a key figurehead for BookTrust’s work and supporter of our vision of a world where reading is part of the everyday life of all children and families.
In October 2025, The Queen held a reception at Clarence House to celebrate BookTrust’s centenary. She met a host of authors and illustrators led by BookTrust’s President Sir Michael Morpurgo, celebrities, politicians and practitioners who work with families, along with Peter Rabbit himself.
BookTrust’s Co-CEO Diana Gerald, MBE said:
“We were honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has hosted this event marking 100 years of BookTrust. We’ve come a long way since 1925, and we have so much to be proud of – but the need for BookTrust is now clearer than ever. Sharing stories with young children can have transformative effects on bonding, happiness and wellbeing – but so many children are still missing out.”
In 2022 The Queen hosted an audience for the Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, OBE. She also joined Cressida Cowell (Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate at the time) to open a brand new primary school library in 2021 as part of the Life-changing Libraries campaign, reading the children one of her favourite books, The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
The Queen celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate with Anthony Browne CBE, Julia Donaldson CBE, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Cressida Cowell MBE and Chris Riddell OBE.
The Queen is Patron or President of a number of reading charities and is well-known for her deep personal interest in literature and literacy. In 2023, she launched the Queen’s Reading Room which works to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading, in the UK and beyond.
The Queen has said:
‘I firmly believe in the importance of igniting a passion for reading in the next generation…The power of a captivating story, a well-honed sentence or a beautifully crafted character is immense, not only taking the reader – or listener – to different worlds, but broadening and stimulating the mind, too.’
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The Waterstones Children’s Laureate is the foremost representative of children’s literature, awarded biannually to a renowned writer or illustrator in recognition of exceptional talent.
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Learn more about our range of projects and campaigns, designed to help people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy reading and writing.
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BookTrust supports children and families to experience the joy of reading and its associated benefits through our programmes and activities.