The Queen hosts a reception to celebrate the centenary of BookTrust

During the reception, Her Majesty met friends and supporters of BookTrust including President of BookTrust, Sir Michael Morpurgo.

Through their programme Bookstart Baby, BookTrust provide a book for every child in the UK before their first birthday. This year’s book, a brand-new Peter Rabbit title called Four Happy Bunnies, has been created exclusively for the programme. To launch the 2025 book, during the reception, Her Majesty met a special guest, Peter Rabbit!

The Queen also had the opportunity to hear about the charity’s collaboration with their 30,000 partners in communities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

For over 100 years, BookTrust has been helping children and families experience the transformational benefits of reading together, reaching 1.4 million families each year. 

Alongside their book-gifting programmes, BookTrust works across the UK with partners from libraries and schools to local authorities and community hubs to provide advice and resources designed to encourage reading, aiming to embed it as a core part of early childhood.

As an avid reader, The Queen has a strong interest in highlighting on the importance of literacy. Her Majesty understands the joy of reading and the role literacy can play in creating life opportunities. The Queen became Patron of BookTrust in 2011, succeeding The late Duke of Edinburgh. Her Majesty began her patronage at an event in Belfast, where she was introduced to children attending Letterbox Club - a BookTrust reading programme designed to support children in contact with the social care system. 

Read more about The Queen’s work with literacy here.