Queen Camilla shares reading passion and King's pre-dinner habit in BBC documentary

Queen Camilla has appeared in a new BBC documentary, The Book That Changed My Life, in which she discusses her lifelong love of reading and her belief that books can transform people's lives.

The film is due to be shown on Wednesday. It comes in the national year of reading and follows earlier work by the Queen, who is patron of the National Literacy Trust and founded the Queen's Reading Room. She also welcomed young storytellers to Windsor Castle earlier this year for the BBC's 500 Words writing competition. Her global online book club, launched five years ago, is now a charity promoting access to books and storytelling.

In the documentary, the Queen appears alongside four people who say a book changed their lives. One contributor, Omar, says reading got him through his time in prison and that he read out of 'survival instinct' to escape his own thoughts. Another says the gift of reading has given them life back. The Queen called the gathering one of the most unusual book club meetings she has ever attended. A contributor said she thought the filming was a bit annoying and that she simply wanted to sit down, hear the stories and talk about reading.

Queen Camilla also gives a rare insight into her home life. She says she and King Charles often settle down with a good book before dinner. She describes it as a lovely, quiet time, though she can be distracted when the King roars with laughter at something or when she suddenly starts weeping at her own book. The King is said to be partial to P.G. Wodehouse and biographies. In the documentary, the Queen also reveals that she read Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence, once a banned novel, as a teenager.

She says she left school quite young, so reading has been most of her education. She argues that reading teaches people about life and other people, that those who do not read miss out, and that children should be encouraged to read early. She warns that it would be a complete and utter tragedy if books went forever, and says that without reading people would give up because they would not be human any longer.

The documentary also notes that only around half of UK adults read a book each year. The Queen hopes the film will inspire more people to turn the page.