Desktop Site17 February 2012
Britain's Duchess of Cornwall says one of her favourite hobbies is reading.
Britain's Duchess of Cornwall loves reading.
Camilla - the wife of Prince Charles - joined author Tony Parsons at a course for Transport for London (TfL) employees wanting to improve their English and told the class she spends most of her spare time engrossed in a book.
Camilla - who is patron of several literary organisations, The National Literacy Trust, the Wicked Young Writers' Award, Booktrust and First Story - said:
"I spend my life reading to my grandchildren, trying to get them to concentrate. It takes you completely out of yourself.
"You can forget about everything else and bury yourself in a book."
Camilla admitted she found it "nerve wracking" to read aloud extracts from Tony's novel 'Beyond the Bounty' after watching many of the "brave" students take a turn at reading sections.
However, those assembled were very impressed with the duchess.
Student Nzinga Okera, a station assistant with TfL who is dyslexic, said: "It is important for someone from the royals or someone from that circle to see that - us reading.
"It shows that, even if you don't associate with them, having a conversation on a one-to-one level - I can see that actually we're not that different."
Kathy Gale, project director of Quick Reads, which works with TfL's scheme, said: "Camilla comes to an event like this and talks to people and it makes them feel good about themselves. She is very, very warm - there isn't really a sense of distance."