It’s a small world! Camilla admires Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House after helping create tiny library to celebrate its 100-year anniversary – in her first royal engagement since King Charles left hospital

The Queen appeared in high spirits as she prepared to host a reception for authors, illustrators and binders who have been involved a new Miniature Library collection displayed alongside Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House – in celebration of its centenary year.

It was her first royal engagement since King Charles left the hospital yesterday. Camilla, 76, hosted the event at Windsor Castle, to commemorate one of the largest and most famous dolls’ houses in the world – built for King George V’s wife  in the 1920s.

The King’s wife, who was greeted by Royal Collection Trust Curators, enjoyed a short tour of the house before seeing the 20 works created to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. 

This includes stunning miniature manuscripts – which were painstakingly penned and decorated by hand.

They were bound by leading designer-bookbinders – ‘as part of the anniversary initiative to establish a Modern-Day Miniature Library, providing a snapshot of contemporary literature in Britain’.

Camilla then mingled with artists in the Waterloo Chamber, where she also saw a close-up display of the featured works. The royal grinned as she enjoyed conversing with guests. 

The royal had also joked that her eyesight had ‘deteriorated’ as she revealed a miniature book she wrote for the exhibit – which will go on display.

She got a first look at the 4.5cm high tome she penned for the collection, which also worked with twenty authors, including Sebastian Faulks, Jacqueline Wilson and Charlie Mackesy.

They also include the Daily Mail’s royal expert Robert Hardman who was asked by The Royal Collection Trust to contribute a work on last year’s major royal event ‘The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, 6. V. 2023,’ with illustrations by his daughter, Phoebe, 14. It was bound by Ted Bennett.

Camilla penned her 254-word message across 16 pages of her tiny book, and said ‘it’s lovely’ when she got her hands on the bound copy yesterday.

Glenn Bartley, Head of Royal Binders, described how the Queen had used a regular pen nib to write the message, also described as a foreword.

She was given frames with dimensions to keep the words inside the 4.5cm pages to write her message on ordinary cartridge paper which were then bound into a book with her cypher.

He said: ‘For a lot of authors it was quite a challenge. The handwriting is extraordinary. The Queen’s was very good and legible.’

Presented with her book, she said: ‘It’s so lovely, thank you so much, very kind.’

She thanked the authors in the room and hailed it as ‘a fantastic scheme’

Without notes, Camilla said: ‘As a child seeing the Dolls’ House for the first time, I was always fascinated by the books, the idea of actually seeing very prominent writers actually seeing their writing was huge excitement.

‘I know the future generation are going to feel the same about all of you, they are going to look at these books and say “goodness”, wonderful to see Alan Bennet and Tom Stoppard and see their writing.

‘What I was particularly thrilled to see was the amount of authors and daughters who have been doing the illustrations and it’s really nice to see mothers and daughters working together.

‘I am thrilled by this and hope you will all be very proud of what you’ve done.

‘And also the wonderful binders, I’ve never seen such exquisite works of art, it’s not an easy task to do something that small, so congratulations.

‘So again thank you very, very much, I hope your eyesight hasn’t deteriorated that much, certainly mine did.

Camilla hugged Mallory Blackman, who penned A Message to Jessica for the display and kissed her on both cheeks, saying: ‘Very nice to see you.’

Playwright Alan Bennett, who wrote The Mantelpiece for his miniature book, greeted Camilla and told her he was ‘thrilled and excited’.

Speaking afterwards, he said: ‘I was flattered to be asked as I don’t regard myself as part of the establishment but it was nice that she remembered me.’

Jacqueline Wilson, who entered ‘The House Mouse’, spoke to Camilla about her book.

She said afterwards: ‘I loved the Doll’s House when I was a little girl and loved the library so to be asked to take part was extraordinary.

‘It was a little challenging to get my handwriting neat enough to be legible. Just took a deep breath and went for it.’

In her heartwarming foreward, Camilla wrote: ‘I am delighted and grateful that, thanks to the kindness of some of today’s brilliant authors and binders, we are now able to add a snapshot of literature in the 2020s to the Dolls’ House library.

‘These new books highlight the incredible richness of twenty-first century literary talent – and demonstrate how fortunate we are to have access to so many outstanding writers, whose work brings joy, comfort, laughter, companionship and hope to us all, opening our eyes to others’ experiences and reminding us that we are not alone.’

The Queen was effortlessly elegant in a monochrome ensemble, including an embroidered navy blazer with white detailing and a matching skirt.

She sported some simple black boots and styled her tresses in a signature style.

Queen Mary’s dolls’ house was built between 1921 and 1924 as a gift to the wife of King George V following the First World War.

Now, visitors to Windsor Castle – where the house has been on display since 1925 – will be able to see a series of items usually contained within it. 

The perfect 1:12 scale replica boasts a fully stocked wine cellar, tiny Crown Jewels with real diamonds and rubies and a grand piano with functioning keys.

The model of an Edwardian residence also has electricity, working lifts and running water and features a library stocked with miniature books specially penned by authors including Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The dolls’ house was built with contributions from 1,500 of the finest artists, craftspeople and manufacturers of the day. 

The house is being displayed in Windsor Castle’s majestic Waterloo Chamber. 

Items from the tiny home’s kitchens and servants’ quarters include a vacuum cleaner, which in the 1920s was a relatively new innovation.

A servant’s sewing machine, complete with thread and minuscule scissors that can actually cut, also feature.

A copper kettle that was made from a coin features George V’s head on its base. 

It comes as earlier this month Queen Camilla picked a racy novel that see the royal family get taken hostage to kickstart her book club.

The 76-year-old has been delving into her literary favourites in a new podcast series – The Queen’s Reading Room.

And she’s made quite a surprising choice with the first novel set to feature in her book club this year – The Lords’ Day by English author Lord Michael Dobbs.

The thriller explores themes of love and devotion after the most powerful people in the country, including The Queen and the Prime Minister, are taken hostage at the State Opening of Parliament – an event Camilla has witnessed firsthand.

In conversation with The Telegraph, Lord Dobbs, known for writing House of Cards, revealed that he sent the novel to the royals on a whim, and in an ‘unexpected’ but ‘wonderful’ twist, it was announced on the Queen’s book club line up weeks later.

In 2007, The Lord’s Day caused a stir for revealing faults in parliamentary security, which led Dobbs to be accused of lending ideas to terrorist organisations.

Fast forward some 16 years, and The Queen has recognised the book alongside national favourites by the likes of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Ian McEwan.

Dobbs revealed that he sent a copy of his book to King and Queen via his publisher, ‘I thought it would be rather fun,’ he said.

And the result was remarkable.

In conversation about the Camilla’s decision, Dobbs said: ‘I think it shows how inclusive and open-minded she is. This isn’t a fussy traditionalist; this is a Queen who has got her eyes open to the modern world.’

Her Majesty is a bookworm who has used her royal role to promote reading and help improve national literacy.

Her Instagram book club, which boasts 167,000 followers, was set up after she shared some of her lockdown reading favourites during the pandemic.

It has since become a charity and launched its own annual literary festival at Hampton Court Palace, which will be held again next year on June 8.