Camilla Parker-Bowles to feature on podcast celebrating the Commonwealth

The Duchess of Cornwall will appear on a new podcast dedicated to celebrating the 54 countries in the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Poetry Podcast will begin as a fortnightly show on Sunday 12 June.

Hosted by award-winning podcaster Gyles Brandreth and his daughter Aphra, the series will feature 54 half-hour episodes that will be released over the next two years.

Every episode will feature an interview with a different guest and explore the poetry, heritage and people of each of the 54 countries of the Commonwealth.

Camilla is set to feature in the podcast’s first episode, with Dame Joanna Lumley also scheduled to feature as a guest later on in the series.

Speaking to PA, Brandreth said that having Camilla on the first episode was “an absolute treat”.

“Curiously, even though I’m a seasoned podcaster and broadcaster, I was still a little bit nervous,” he added. “But honestly, it couldn’t have been easier.

“She’s wonderfully relaxed on it. For us, recording the podcast, it was fascinating because you don’t often hear somebody like her talking at length.

“But she was a natural and even though we edited it down to about 40 minutes, we had about an hour of chitchat.”

He continued: “At the end of the day, we’d all had fun.

“We had fun talking about the Commonwealth, poetry - being serious at times - but also having a laugh. It was a joy.”

The Royal Commonwealth Society ambassador went on to offer a preview at what’s next to come in the series.

“In our next episode, we’re visiting Rwanda, a beautiful country with a troubled past, and meeting a Rwandan poet who confronts both its beauty and its pain. Then it’s St Kitts and Nevis, Cameroon, Solomon Islands, Australia, Cyprus,” he said.

“In 54 episodes, we’re going around the Commonwealth - home to two-and-a-half billion people - using poetry as our guide. In some episodes, there is singing and dancing, too.”

Additional reporting by PA