Hay Festival: Duchess of Cornwall promotes literacy

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The Duchess of Cornwall has demonstrated her concern to promote child and adult literacy during a visit to the Hay Festival in Powys.

The duchess flew in to the book festival by helicopter to read to children.

Afterwards, her spokesman said she has had a long interest in books and reading which stems from the fact she was read to as a child.

"She read to her children and it's been life-long passion," he said.

The duchess read an except from Dog Love Books by Louise Yates, a 2010 Roald Dahl Funny Prize winner and a New York Times bestseller.

Afterwards, children's author Michael Morpurgo read an extract from one of his books.

The duchess then met children, including some taking cookery lessons.

A spokesman for the duchess said one of the main reasons why she was at the festival was to promote reading and literacy among children and adults.

He said: "It's one of her key areas of interest - literacy for children and adults. The duchess has had a long interest in books and reading which stems from being read to as a child."

The spokesman added that duchess was patron of two organisation related to literacy - the Wicked Young Writers Award and the National Literacy Trust.

<strong>Pickles and jam</strong>

He went on to say the duchess regularly visits schools and libraries and encourages reading and reading aloud.

After the book-reading session, the duchess called at a stall where children were being taught how to make strawberry shortcake biscuits.

The duchess remarked that strawberries were early this year and said "aren't we lucky".

She also visited a drapers stall from Staunton-on-Wye, Herefordshire.

Owner Carolyn Denham said she spoke to the duchess about sewing and how it was coming back into fashion.

"[I said] when we were feminists we were not allowed to make pickles and jam but now we can, " she explained.

"And that is just like sewing. It's not a girlie thing to do anymore."

"She agreed and laughed and said she wished she had more time to sew."