Camilla

“I'm ashamed to say that I really hated the Internet. I didn't understand it and I thought, 'What's the point of this?'”

“Reading to our children and our grandchildren is something we can all try to do every day of the year. Not only does it give us pleasure but it leads them on a voyage of discovery and enrichment that only books can bring.”

“We all know that reading is an invaluable life skill. It is vital for children in their education and as they take their place in the grown-up world.”

“No one knows what goes on behind any front door.”

“It sounds, especially in this day and age, sort of snobbish, but we left school at 16, nobody went on to university unless you were a real brainbox. Instead, we went to Paris and Florence and learned about life and culture and how to behave with people, how to talk to people.”

“When I sit down with my team before an engagement, sometimes they are horrified as I say I don't want to read the biographical brief because I prefer to prise information out of people. It becomes like a game. The stories that come out, I could write a book about.”

“I love to get my hands dirty.”

“Spending time with a book is much more than just learning to read.”

“I genuinely like people and I'm so curious about them.”

“Manchester is a past master at bringing light to dark times.”

“The nice thing about dogs is you can sit them down, you could have a nice long conversation, you could be cross, you could be sad, and they just sit looking at you wagging their tail!”

“For about a year, when we lived at Middlewick, I couldn't really go anywhere. But the children came and went as normal - they just got on with it - and so did great friends. I would pass the time by reading a lot - more than I'd ever have been able to in a normal life.”

“Turning the pages of a favourite book creates a very special bond with our grandchildren, but it's not just an indulgent pleasure.”