Queen Camilla offered a concise verdict on her recent meeting with Donald Trump and Melania Trump during a television appearance in New York, describing the royal visit simply as "good fun" after a whirlwind four-day tour tied to America's 250th anniversary celebrations.
The remarks came during an interview with TODAY co-host Jenna Bush Hager filmed at the New York Public Library, where the Queen attended an event promoting her literacy initiative, The Queen's Reading Room.
The royal tour marked King Charles III and Queen Camilla's first official U.S. visit since Charles ascended the throne, blending diplomatic appearances with cultural engagements across Washington, New York and Virginia.
"It's been a whistle stop. It's been really good fun. But we have moved quite fast," Camilla told Hager when asked about the pace of the trip and her experience meeting American leaders.
The state visit included dinners, speeches, ceremonial events and gift exchanges involving the Trumps and senior U.S. officials. It also unfolded against the backdrop of preparations for the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary in 2026, a milestone repeatedly referenced during the trip.
"You're here on this historic visit, 250 years of our country," Hager observed during the interview.
"That's extraordinary," Camilla replied.
The Queen's appearance at the library largely focused on reading and childhood literacy rather than politics. Roughly 100 guests attended the reception hosted by The Queen's Reading Room, including Sarah Jessica Parker, author Harlan Coben, broadcaster Gyles Brandreth and novelist Min Jin Lee.
Wearing a navy blue crepe silk outfit designed by Fiona Clare and a Britannia-themed brooch once owned by Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla used the event to spotlight concerns about declining reading habits among children.
"Well, I'd like to say, keep reading. I think it's very important, and you know, specialist statistics show that reading among children is falling. We've got to find a way of bringing it up," she said.
The Queen's Reading Room began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as a virtual book club after Camilla shared a list of favorite books with a local newspaper. The project has since expanded into podcasts, author interviews and online programming reaching audiences in 180 countries.
"We're all sitting there, twiddling our fingers, not quite knowing what to do, and I just gave eight of my favourite books to a local newspaper. Bingo," Camilla explained. "All these people write to me all over the world, so we thought, why not try and take it a step further?"
During her speech at the event, Camilla reflected on how literature shaped her understanding of America long before she ever visited the country.
"Indeed, the first Americans I knew and loved were the characters I met in my treasured children's novels: Little Women, What Katy Did, Charlotte's Web... I knew, even then, that books are the best friend you can have - in good times and bad," she said.
The Queen also spoke emotionally about the influence of her late father, decorated British Army officer Major Bruce Shand, on her lifelong love of reading.
"Oh, but he was wonderful," Camilla said. "He used to sit at the end of our beds every night and read us these incredibly exciting stories, some of them quite frightening, with pillows over our heads, but he just gave us this incredible interest."
One of the event's lighter moments came when Camilla presented the library with a replacement Roo bear from A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh collection after the original toy had long been missing from the famed set.
