The Queen has courted backlash after inviting anti-trans Harry Potter creator JK Rowling to the Palace of Holyroodhouse during Pride month.

The wife of the King was pictured smiling and standing side-by-side with the author as the pair met to discuss the importance of young people having access to books.

“With a shared passion for books and a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure, The Queen and author JK Rowling have met at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh,” a post on the monarchy’s official social media read on Tuesday (local time).

“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.”

The comments section to the post on X was filled with angry responses.

X user Dale Tegman asked why Rowling was chosen out of all the authors in Britain.

“Why would you select the one who wants to deny young people access to live-saving health care? Why would you select the one who has made it her life mission to erase a vulnerable minority from public existence?” they said.

Daniel Lismore said it was “absolutely absurd that the Queen of England is platforming the woman who is cited in the red flag warning to the United Kingdom on transgender rights by the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention. I see this as a political stance on human rights in Great Britain.”

Aidan Neal wrote: “The royal family should not be posing for photographs with one of the worst trans-baiters in the world today and then posting them on the very platform where she promotes her hate.”

Rowling has become known for her outspoken views and has previously been accused of transphobia for her views on gender identity, which she denies.

The Queen has previously revealed how her grandchildren were fans of the Harry Potter books and how the King used to entertain them with dramatic readings of the series about the schoolboy wizard.

“He does all the voices, because he is a brilliant mimic. I’m not very good. I try to do the voices, but acting isn’t my forte. But he sits down and they all sit with him,” she said at a literary event in 2017.

“I always think they are going to be wriggling around in the bed, but they sit spellbound.”

The Queen, an avid reader and patron of several literary organisations, launched an Instagram book club during Covid lockdowns. It has since developed into the charity The Queen’s Reading Room.

In 2023, she urged authors to be unimpeded by those who wish to “curb the freedom of your expression”. The comments followed news that new releases of books by children’s author Roald Dahl were edited to remove potentially offensive language.

“Please keep doing so and please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination,” the Queen told a reception of authors and literary figures at Clarence House.

-with AAP