The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, has paid tribute to her late brother Mark Shand by picking one of his books as a lockdown must-read.
The conservationist died in 2014, aged 62, after falling and sustaining serious injuries in New York.
Camilla, 72, chose a series of her top reads to inspire more people to curl up with a good book during lockdown.
Read more: Charles and Camilla share sweet photo with their dogs as they are reunited after self-isolation
Love of literature
The Duchess, who loves literature, included one of her late brother’s pieces in her list.
The book, titled Travels On My Elephant, chronicled Mark’s adventures with an elephant named Tara.
My late brother’s tale of his love affair with Tara, an Asian elephant on their journey across India… It always brings a tear to my eye
Camilla told the Press and Journal: “Ernest Hemingway, famously, once said ‘there is no friend as loyal as a book’.
“In these challenging times when we are isolated from the ones we love, many of us are finding comfort in reading, to fire up our imaginations, to take us on journeys and to make us laugh.
“With that in mind, here is a list of my dearest friends. My late brother’s tale of his love affair with Tara, an Asian elephant on their journey across India… It always brings a tear to my eye.”
The book list also includes The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
Relaxing at home
Camilla self-isolated for two weeks after her husband the Prince of Wales caught coronavirus.
Relatives of those who have the disease have to isolate for 14 days, according to the current guidelines.
They are at their Scottish residence Balmoral, where they have been spending lockdown.
The Duchess, president of the Royal Voluntary Service, immediately joined the 750,000 Britons volunteering for the NHS.
She called Doris Winfield, 85, in Rickmansworth, about the frustrations of isolation.
Ahead of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s 15th wedding anniversary tomorrow, we are sharing this photo of Their Royal Highnesses with The Duchess’s dogs Bluebell and Beth.
The photo was taken earlier today at Birkhall. pic.twitter.com/0Xw1nxySpu
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 8, 2020
Camilla also thanked the people who have donated their time to help those “who are most in need of practical and emotional support”.
She added: “[RVS] has a long and remarkable history of bringing willing volunteers together with the isolated and lonely.”
Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of our story