Queen Camilla Discusses Lifelong Love of Reading in BBC Documentary
In a new BBC documentary, Queen Camilla spoke about how books shaped her education after she left school at 16. She remembered reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by torchlight as a teenager and said she and King Charles read together before dinner, though his laughter can interrupt her. Camilla credited her father with sparking her love of reading and mentioned childhood favorites such as Treasure Island and Peter Pan.
Camilla left formal schooling at sixteen, a time when, she says, women in her circle generally did not attend university. She has described books as supplying much of her education. Her father, Major Bruce Shand, read aloud to her early; he had turned to reading while a prisoner of war. Among her childhood favorites were Treasure Island, Peter Pan, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and A Tale of Two Cities.
As a teenager she encountered romances and D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, a novel about an aristocratic woman's affair with a gamekeeper that faced an obscenity trial when published in full in 1960. In the documentary, she also notes that she and King Charles read before dinner; his enjoyment of biographies and P.G. Wodehouse can interrupt her.
Count words. First para: Camilla(1) left2 formal3 schooling4 at5 sixteen6, a7 time8 when9, she10 says11, women12 in13 her14 circle15 generally16 did17 not18 attend19 university20. She21 has22 described23 books24 as25 supplying26 much27 of28 her29 education30. Her31 father32, Major33 Bruce34 Shand35, read36 aloud37 to38 her39 early40; he41 had42 turned43 to44 reading45 while46 a47 prisoner48 of49 war50. Among51 her52 childhood53 favorites54 were55 Treasure56 Island57, Peter58 Pan59, The60 Scarlet61 Pimpernel62, and63 A64 Tale65 of66 Two67 Cities68. First 68.
Second: As1 a2 teenager3 she4 encountered5 romances6 and7 D.H.8 Lawrence's9 Lady10 Chatterley's11 Lover12, a13 novel14 about15 an16 aristocratic17 woman's18 affair19 with20 a21
... Need maybe "EXPANDED:" and "CONTEXT:" labels. Good. Check expanded total under 120. We have 60 + 49 = 109. Good. But first paragraph says "when women in her circle generally did not attend university." Article says "in my day women didn't go to universities." It doesn't say circle. Could be okay? "in her circle" maybe not in material. Better "when, she says, women of her generation generally did not attend university." That's drawn. Count: Camilla left school at sixteen, when, she says, women of her generation generally did not attend university. She has said books supplied much of her education. Her father, Major Bruce Shand, read aloud to her early; he had turned to reading as a prisoner of war. Childhood favorites included Treasure Island, Peter Pan, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and A Tale of Two Cities. Count: Camilla1 left2 school3 at4 sixteen5, when6, she7 says8, women9 of10 her11 generation12 generally13 did14 not15 attend16 university17. She18 has19 said20 books21 supplied22 mu