Queen Camilla opens Cliveden Literary Festival 2025 with tribute to ‘much-missed’ late friend

Queen Camilla inaugurated and delivered opening remarks at the eighth Cliveden Literary Festival on October 11.

Descending on Berkshire for the festivities, which last only two days, the Queen Consort celebrated the rich literary connections of Cliveden House and toasted to a dearly departed friend, author Dame Jilly Cooper.

“Earlier today, The Queen officially opened the 2025 Cliveden Literary Festival, before hosting a reception for authors, festival supporters, charity partners, and students from the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham,” the royal family’s official Instagram page captioned the post for the Queen’s latest outing.

Dressed in a hunter green dress with an animal printed blouse underneath and topped with a black cape-like blazer, her majesty looked every bit prepared for a literary evening.

With her chocolate brown bag and matching heeled pumps, the look rivalled that of any sleek dramatic sleuth — one of whom the Queen even mentioned in her address.

“There are few houses and gardens in England that are quite as steeped in literature as this one,” she said, before listing several literary greats who found inspiration on the Cliveden grounds.

With a stylish reference to the creator of James Bond and a heartfelt one to her late friend, she added, “I understand that it is even possible to order Ian Fleming’s ‘Vesper Martini’ at the bar – a drink that was a favourite of the late, much-missed Dame Jilly Cooper.”

Queen Camilla’s post on Instagram additionally featured stills of her speaking and mingling at this year’s Cliveden Literary Festival, while another showed her accompanied by novelist Salman Rushdie.