Queen Camilla Reads Letter to Stunned Crowd as Harry and Meghan Return to U.K.

Some of the biggest royal news of the summer was the announcement that after six years in the U.S., the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now setting up a home base near London. (Rumor has it they're settling for a luxe Cotswolds cottage.) But King Charles' younger son wasn't the only family member with some surprises up his sleeve. Both his father and step-mother made unexpected appearances of their own amdist the big news; most recently, Queen Camilla delighted an unsuspecting audience at the Royal Festival Hall yesterday during the venue's "Letters Live" event.

The Queen walked onto the stage to thunderous applause, and stood at the lectern to read a letter written by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She joined a cast that included Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch for the program that, Buckingham Palace writes, "is a live celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence. Each show always features a completely different array of great performers, reading remarkable letters written over the centuries and from around the world. Audiences attending 'Letters Live' never know who is going to take to the stage or what letter they are going to bring alive."

The show also acted as a fundraiser for the National Literacy Trust, of which Queen Camilla is Patron. The Queen is a known champion of reading, also hosting the Queen's Reading Room, a book club and literary charity. The platform has highlighted authors such as Isabel Allende, Curtis Sittenfeld, Harlan Coben and Louise Penny, inviting conversation about the craft of writing, new releases and book recommendations.