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When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, she gave up a lot, but it seems that some of the strict rules governing her sacrifices don’t necessarily apply to Queen Camilla.
The British Royal Family has a complicated relationship with social media, and Camilla might have found a clever way to navigate the tricky waters that caused Meghan’s Instagram following of three million to evaporate when she deactivated her account in 2018. According to Vicki Perrin, the CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room charity, Queen Camilla may soon join TikTok as a book influencer. “Never say never,” Perrin stated, emphasizing her dedication to promoting reading and writing through various media, including radio and television.
If Queen Camilla does join TikTok, she would be the first member of the Royal Family to do so, potentially finding a way to sidestep one of the core rules for Royals: they aren’t supposed to have personal social media accounts, only joint accounts for sharing official events and engagements, like those used by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
By engaging on TikTok as part of her Reading Room charity, Camilla would tap into the popular BookTok community, which is all about sharing book reviews, recommendations, and discussions. This approach would allow her to promote reading and writing while maintaining a professional image, as long as the content doesn’t veer into personal territory.
BookTok has become a massive platform where people from various backgrounds share their favorite reads, and it plays a significant role in the publishing world. Perrin praised the platform, stating, “What’s so wonderful about BookTok is that you have people from all different walks of life saying, ‘This is a book that has moved me,’ and that is so much more important than anything else.”
Her charity already reaches 12 million people across 170 countries, making it a potent force in promoting literacy and the joys of reading. By leveraging TikTok, which has a younger user base, the Queen could connect with a new generation and inspire them to explore literature in a meaningful way.
Interestingly, research supports the health benefits of reading. A study from Yale University found that people who read regularly had a 20% lower risk of dying over a 12-year period compared to non-readers, regardless of factors like race, education, or wealth. So, continuing to read as you age can really pay off!
However, there could be more than just good intentions behind Queen Camilla’s potential TikTok venture. She has been known to subtly remind younger royals of her role as their stepmother, and this move might be a way to highlight the differences in how rules are applied within the family. This could be seen as a pointed reminder to Harry and Meghan, who are currently estranged from the rest of the family, that some members can bend the rules for their benefit, even if it ultimately serves a good cause.