Jenna Bush Hager reveals what Queen Camilla told her during state visit — and her response to public's reaction

Fans of Jenna Bush Hager know very well she's the ultimate bookworm, and this week, she bonded over as much with quite the fellow avid reader.

On Thursday, April 30, the TODAY anchor met with none other than Queen Camilla, at, none other than, the New York Public Library.

The literacy engagement was part of the Queen's U.S. state visit with her husband King Charles, during which they have made stops in D.C., followed by their New York City visit, and next up a stop in Bermuda.

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Following the memorable event, which was attended by fellow book lovers Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour, Jenna, on the Thursday installment of TODAY, opened up about what it was like spending time with the British monarch.

"She is lovely and very hilarious. She has a deep and abiding passion for books," she shared with her co-anchors, noting that the Queen remarked on "how lovely" everyone has been to her.

In a clip from their time together, Jenna is seen telling Camilla: "I love it that we can be back together," to which she responded: "And loving books."

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Camilla's first trip to the U.S. with Charles as a married couple was in 2005, when they had a White House dinner with Jenna's parents, former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Camilla further shared that the trip to New York City has been a "whistlestop" tour but "good fun," and: "It's been wonderful, and everybody's been very kind and welcoming."

"It's always a pleasure to be here. Always, always lovely to be back in New York again," she added.

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The literary engagement at the NYPL commemorated the Queen's charity, The Queen's Reading Room, which she launched in 2023 with the effort to celebrate and promote the power of reading across the U.K. and beyond.

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"As many of us have long suspected, books really are good for us," Camilla told the crowd at the famed library. "They also have a magical way of bringing people together with their ability to transcend any barrier."

Then, asked by Jenna what message she has for the American people — the royals were visiting the U.S. in honor of its forthcoming 250th anniversary in July — she maintained: "Well, I'd like to say, keep reading," adding: "I think it's very important, and you know, specialist statistics are showing reading is falling in children … We've got to find a way of bringing it up."