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In Edinburgh, Scotland today, Queen Camilla welcomed Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
“With a shared passion for books and a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure, The Queen and author J.K. Rowling have met at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh,” the Royal Family posted on social media. “Her Majesty and Ms Rowling discussed the importance of ensuring that young people have access to books and the vital part reading plays in opening doors for future generations.”
Since publishing the Harry Potter series, Rowling has been an increasingly outspoken anti-trans activist online. “I do not walk around my house thinking about my legacy,” Rowling said in 2023 in response to being called to transphobic. “What a pompous way to live your life, walking around thinking, what will my legacy be? Whatever, I’ll be dead. I care about now. I care about the living.”
The comments on the Instagram photograph of Camilla and Rowling were swiftly filled with backlash, with one commenter writing, “Absolutely horrible any time, but especially during pride month.” Another posted a series of trans pride flags, adding, “trans rights are human rights” in all caps. Other comments were filled with similar sentiments: “Literacy is great. Transphobia is not. Do better,” “Oh no, what a blunder. Is this really what the Royal Family stands for? Transphobia is not okay,” and “Trans people’s dignity and lives matter. Hosting this giant transphobe shows which side the royal family are on – shame on you.”
One person replied to the fact that Queen Camilla and Rowling discussed young people’s access to books, asking, “Young people, except trans people, though, right?. Meeting with the biggest, most insufferable terf of all on the last day of Pride Month wasn’t the best decision and isn’t a good look for you.” (TERF is an acronym that stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, a.k.a. supposed feminists who reject the inclusion of transgender women in women’s spaces.)
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Rowling poses with her medal after being made a Companion of Honour by Prince William during an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London on December 12, 2017.
It isn’t the first time Rowling has met with the royal family, but it is her first time since her pivot into anti-trans activism online. In 2017, Prince William made the writer a Companion of Honor at Buckingham Palace for her contributions to literature and philanthropy.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.