King Charles’s wife will soon take centre stage in a new royal-themed mystery novel after palace approval.
Queen Camilla is set to see one of her long-time dreams realised, as she takes on a starring role in a new novel that has received Buckingham Palace’s official approval. The Queen, a passionate advocate for reading and founder of the Queen’s Reading Room, has often shared her love of books and storytelling. Now, that passion has turned into reality.
Back in June, author Peter James revealed that his upcoming murder mystery, The Hawk Is Dead: A Killer in the Palace, will feature Camilla as a central character. The novel, part of his popular Roy Grace detective series, moves its setting from Brighton to Buckingham Palace.
James and the Queen share a friendship that began through their mutual appreciation for literature. He said Camilla once wrote to him asking when he planned to set one of his stories in London. That casual question sparked an idea. “I heard about the chaos in the palace during renovations and realised it was the perfect backdrop,” he told The Mirror. “I drafted a few lines and sent them to the palace — and the Queen loved it. It was later signed off by Buckingham Palace communications.”
Following the approval, James was granted a three-and-a-half-hour private tour of the palace to help him capture its details accurately for the book. While the exact release date hasn’t been announced, The Hawk Is Dead is expected to be published later this month — marking a milestone moment for Queen Camilla and her love of fiction.
