The Queen and I

Before Christmas Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's royal editor, tweeted:

Queen Camilla is launching a podcast

The Queen's Reading Room Podcast is available weekly from January 8 and will feature HM The Queen and names such as Joanna Lumley and Sir Ian Rankin. It's aim? To promote the joy of reading.

This is an extremely tenuous link but it reminded me that eight years ago (January 2016) I took part in a balloon debate at what was then the new Foyles bookshop in London's Charing Cross Road.

I was one of seven speakers invited to champion the 'Best Book in the World'. Two didn't turn up but the five who did were given two and a half minutes each to pitch our chosen titles.

After a short Q&A, the audience then voted. They could vote for as many books/speakers as they liked, and the two with the fewest votes were eliminated.

To my surprise – because I was totally out of my comfort zone – I got through to the final round and although I didn't win I didn't embarrass myself (which I thought I might).

Full story: Why Mr Galliano's Circus is the best book in the world

PS. Is it just me, or does anyone else find it difficult to associate the words 'the Queen' with Camilla?

Nothing against King Charles' wife, who seems very nice with a good sense of humour, but whenever I see any reference to 'the Queen' I automatically think of Elizabeth II, which is technically how we are supposed to refer to the late queen now.

Nevertheless – and I know this makes me historically illiterate – there will only ever be one queen for me!