Royal family members are sharing their favourite books to get us through lockdown

And we’re obsessed.

(Image credit: UK Press via Getty Images)

And we’re obsessed.

Coronavirus has changed life as we know it. And with the UK now on lockdown, extreme measures are being taken.

As we approach week four of lockdown, high profile names have been doing their bit to keep the nation entertained.

Among these are royal family members, with the Mountbatten-Windsors upping their social media content over self-isolation.

One of the trends taken by royal family members over lockdown seems to involve books, with both the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall sharing their top reads to keep followers busy.

Kate shared her favourite reads two weeks ago as she shared a photograph of her Kensington Palace office in which her book collection was clearly visible.

A photo posted by on

The Duchess of Cambridge’s taste seems to be all about the classics, with her collection including Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park.

Also included in the collection were Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronté, Tess of the D’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy, Middlemarch by George Elliot and The Sonnets and a Lover’s Complaint by William Shakespeare. Not to mention, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle and The Odyssey by Homer.

Charles Dickens also appears to be one of her favourite authors, with her collection featuring two of his works, Bleak House and A Christmas Carol.

A photo posted by on

Following in Kate’s footsteps, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also shared her top favourite reads, taking to social media to share them alongside an Enerst Hemingway quote.

‘Ernest Hemingway, famously, once said “There is no friend as loyal as a book”. In these challenging times when we are isolated from the ones we love, many of us are finding comfort in reading, to fire up our imaginations, to take us on journeys and to make us laugh. With that in mind, here is a list of my dearest “friends”’, read the post on the Clarence House Instagram page.

But what were the Duchess of Cornwall’s top book recommendations?

Camilla’s curated list includes Restless by William Boyd, A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, The Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill and The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman.

Others on the list include The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles, The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain, The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak and Travels On My Elephant by Mark Shand.

Which royals will be next to share their top picks?

Happy reading!

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.