Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Submit Guest Post

Duchess of Cornwall praises Bolton boy for reading 50 books during lockdown

AN eight-year-old boy has been congratulated by the Duchess of Cornwall after completing a year-long reading challenge in just three months.

Milan Kumar of Bolton received a signed letter from Camilla last week after he read over 50 books during lockdown.


The 50-book challenge set by his school saw him read a number of novels, including works by William Shakespeare, David Walliams and JK Rowling.

The Duchess -- who is also the patron of the Royal Society of Literature -- congratulated Kumar on his “absolutely wonderful” achievement."

Kumar had set himself the challenge in March, hoping to complete it by June. "I went on to read more than 50 books including a biography of Nelson Mandela, which was uplifting and reminded me of my family holiday last year to South Africa,” he said.

His parents thanked the Duchess for the letter, claiming it had inspired their son, "who is now looking forward to the next reading challenge".

Kumar also had a message to Camilla, who had recently said Prince Charles left their grandchildren "spellbound" with his dramatic readings of Harry Potter stories and impersonation of the characters in them.

He said: "If you ever visit the northwest of England, you would be more than welcome to visit Bolton School, which by the way looks just like Hogwarts! I will be in Year 4, please pop in and say hi, and perhaps Prince Charles can read a Harry Potter story to us!"

Add EasternEye As Your Trusted Source
preferred source on google news

More For You

Andy Burnham

The Government has swapped a proposed tax cut for cheaper bus travel

Getty Images

Burnham’s personal allowance U-turn explained: What the government is offering instead

  • The Government has dropped plans to increase the personal tax-free allowance, citing pressure on the public finances.
  • Most bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from January 1, 2027.
  • Ministers say the measures are aimed at easing living costs, although questions remain over funding.

Anyone hoping for a higher personal tax-free allowance under prime minister Andy Burnham will have to wait.

After suggesting during the election campaign that raising the tax-free allowance was one of the issues raised most often by voters, Burnham has now ruled out the move, saying the UK's financial position makes it too expensive. Instead, the Government has announced that the £2 bus fare cap will return across most of England from January 1, 2027, positioning it as another measure to help households cope with the cost of living.

Keep ReadingShow less