‘Are you the Queen?’ Camilla asked during visit to primary school
Queen Camilla and pupils at Christ Church CofE Primary School celebrate the literary festival - Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The Queen was asked: “Are you the Queen?” by an excited seven-year-old pupil during a visit to a primary school on Wednesday.
“That’s me!” she cheerily responded as she chatted to the Year Two pupils at Christ Church CofE Primary School in Chelsea, west London.
Her Majesty also met a young Charles and a Kamilla during the visit and expressed mock surprise as she came face-to-face with a mosaic of the King at his Coronation.
“Oh my goodness, that’s my husband!” she laughed as she admired the children’s work.
The Queen, who wore a floral black and white Fiona Clare dress, was visiting the school to hear about a literary festival in which pupils are sponsored to read books. She heard about the various activities the school is using to promote reading for pleasure among its young pupils.
She told the children they “must keep on reading forever and ever” and that if they did so, by the time they were grown up they would be “stars”.
The Queen visits a Reception class and hears about the Shepherd and Sheep reading initiative - Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The Queen was met on arrival by two Year 4 pupils, Marina, nine, and Lexi, eight, who had been practising their curtsies.
“So you’re showing me around, are you?” she asked them. “Excellent.”
The Queen, 76, was in the playground chatting to pupils about the book The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch when Yemariam, seven, called out: “Are you the Queen?”
Her Majesty appeared amused as she confirmed that yes, she was indeed.
In the reception classroom, she asked various groups of young children what they were drawing.
“Can I sit on your table?” She asked one group as she perched alongside them. “It might break! If you see me go down, there might be a crash. Will you pick me up again?”
As she waved goodbye to the children, one boy called out: “I’m Charles!”
“Are you? That’s what my husband is called,” she said. “Just the same name.”
The Queen talks to two young pupils at Christ Church CofE primary school - Chris Jackson/Getty Images
There was another reminder of her husband as she stepped outside, where Year 3 pupils were waiting to show her a mosaic they had made depicting the King on the day of his Coronation, wearing a crown and his velvet robes and holding a staff.
The mosaic was titled “King Charles III” with May 6 2023 below.
“It looks pretty good to me,” the Queen said, as two Year 4 pupils, Leo and Hannah, both nine, told her all about it.
“Did you do bits of this?” she asked. “It’s very clever. I think that’s brilliant.”
The two children pointed out which tiles they had stuck on. The mosaic was designed from sketches drawn by the children, which were combined by the school’s visiting mosaic artist.
Queen Camilla is greeted by pupils at Christ Church CofE primary school in Chelsea - Chris Jackson/Getty Images
In the Year 4 classroom, the children were making felt butterflies, which the Queen dutifully admired.
One girl told her that she was called Kamilla. “You are called Kamilla?” the Queen responded. “Hello Kamilla, from another Camilla.
“Have you got a Kamilla butterfly here? How do you do it? Lots of different steps.”
The teacher said she had never heard the children so quiet. “The minute I go out of the door, the noise will escalate,” the Queen laughed.
Outside, she met various groups of children in the playground, some of whom were learning about The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch.
The Queen asked whether they had learnt any new words, one of which was “industrious”.
“Are you made to spell it as well?” she asked. “That is going to be really hard.”
Another word was “devour”, which the Queen said: “That explains a lot of eating, doesn’t it.”
Sponsored to read
The school’s literary festival, which began on June 10 and runs until July 5, encourages children to be sponsored by family and friends to read as many books as possible.
Marina, one of the girls who was showing the Queen around, told her that her father was sponsoring her £4 a book.
“Is he? That’s pretty good,” she replied. “So how many books have you read?”
Told it was ten, she exclaimed: “That’s a lot of money!”
The Queen watched some children recite passages from their favourite books before being offered a slice of cake, which was decorated with the names of books.
“I was wondering who had made that delicious cake,” she said. “I’ll take some and eat it later.”
The Queen then watched the school choir perform two songs, The Secret Owl Society and Hallelujah, in the hall before presenting the school with a selection of books, including The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Hairy Maclary, Swallows and Amazons and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
‘Brilliant idea’
Delivering a brief, off-the-cuff address to the school, she said: “I’d just like to say to you all that I think it’s a brilliant idea to have a literary festival. I’m so impressed by your reading and just remember you must keep on reading forever and ever.
“It’s going to take you off on millions of adventures all over the world and the more you read as you grow up, it will be bigger and better for all of you. So keep on reading and by the time you are grown up, you are all going to be stars. So well done and thank you very much for having me.”
The Queen was presented with a posy of flowers from the school garden and posed for photographs with the whole school before leaving.
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