Queen Camilla gave audiences at London's Royal Festival Hall an unexpected moment on Thursday evening. She quietly joined the line-up for Letters Live to read a deeply personal letter written by the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Few in the audience appeared to know she was taking part, making her arrival on stage all the more dramatic as gasps and applause swept through the hall.
The Queen read a 1952 letter written by the Queen Mother to poet Edith Sitwell, who had sent her an anthology of poems following the death of her husband, King George VI. Written during a period of profound grief, the letter offered a portrait of a grieving woman finding solace in the kindness of a friend and the pages of a book.
Camilla later admitted to Elaine Bedell, chief executive of the Southbank Centre, that she had been "terrified" before stepping onto the stage. Among those watching were an impressive collection of performers, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Simon Callow, Harriet Walter, Rob Rinder, Sara Pascoe, Daniel Kaluuya and Laurence Fishburne.
During the interval, Camilla met several of the performers in the artists' bar. Olivia Colman was quick to congratulate her, telling the Queen that she had "done a great job". Dressed in an elegant blue Fiona Clare gown, the Queen shared lighthearted moments with the cast, even joking about missing out on wearing a wireless headset microphone.