Dua Lipa met Queen Consort Camilla on Monday for the prestigious Booker Prize ceremony.
Daily Mail reports the pair met during the ceremony. Dua was announced as this year’s keynote speaker, while Camila was charged with presenting the Booker Prize for Fiction.
She handed the award to Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka for his novel The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida.
Dua opened up about her love of reading during her keynote address, where she explained how books opened the doors for her to pursue a career in music.
“Reading is a passion that has taken many forms for me. Like countless other London school children, my early obsessions included Roald Dahl and Malorie Blackman, both of whom gave me little pearls of wisdom that still guide me today,” she said.
She then saluted past Booker Prize recipient Ismail Kadare for writing books that challenged her to master her language skills, saying they helped her “connect with my family’s heritage and identity as Kosovan Albanians.”
She continued, “I learned about the Albanian spirit of resistance, that same stubborn determination that keeps Kosovans fighting for international recognition for our independence today.”
She also said reading keeps her grounded. “Today, touring commitments take me all over the globe and life is often hectic. Sometimes just to survive, I need to adopt a tough exterior,” Dua said. “And at these times, it is books that soften me.”
She thanked authors for helping readers “find our place in the word,” noting, “Good writing has the power to make people feel seen and has to tell stories that the world has ignored.”
Dua and Camilla later shared an “animated” conversation, but it is unknown what exactly they discussed.
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