Queen Camilla has enthusiastically championed the power of storytelling, telling young finalists that writing will "take you on adventures" during a special awards ceremony at Windsor Castle. The event celebrated the winners of the BBC 500 Words writing competition, with the Queen presenting medals to the talented children in a ceremony filmed for a special episode of The One Show broadcast on Friday.
A Royal Celebration of Imagination
Camilla personally met each winner during the prestigious awards ceremony held in the historic Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle. The young winners' creative entries were brought to life through readings by an impressive array of celebrities, including actress Joanna Page, Peep Show star Paterson Joseph, television presenters Bradley and Barney Walsh, former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, rapper Big Zuu, and DJ Sara Cox.
"The Best Thing You Could Possibly Do"
Addressing all fifty finalists invited to Windsor Castle, the Queen emphasized the crucial importance of nurturing children's literary talents in today's world. "I think to get children reading and writing stories especially nowadays is so important," she told host Alex Jones during the ceremony. "And also it gives them time to get away from some of their folks. So, I think it's so important that children keep on writing. It is the best thing you could possibly do. It will take you all on adventures all over the world."
The Queen, who has supported the competition since 2015, expressed her hope that the initiative has helped children "discover a secret, that reading and writing are the best fun ever." She shared wisdom from literary history, quoting author AA Milne who described writing as "just thrill: the thrill of exploring." Camilla praised the young writers for proving Milne right, noting that "through the magic of your pens and devices, you have brought your imaginations to life and led your readers on breath-taking explorations."
Celebrating a Century of Storytelling
The Queen highlighted the special timing of the ceremony, coinciding with the centenary of AA Milne's first book introducing Winnie-the-Pooh. She humorously noted that Pooh, "like all of us here, had firm views about story-telling. He didn't much like long, difficult words, but rather short, easy words like, 'What about lunch?'"
Recognizing Young Literary Talent
The ceremony celebrated six winners across two age categories: five to seven years and eight to eleven years, with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded in each group. Queen Camilla presented each child with their medal, including gold winners Zuren Zhang in the younger category and Maya Ukwubiwe in the older category.
Zuren's imaginative tale followed two adventurous rabbits named Stew and Pidd as they stowed away on a rocket to Mars in search of a planet filled with carrots. Meanwhile, Maya captivated judges with a spooky story featuring children embarking on a mysterious adventure at the circus. Professional illustrators brought these winning stories to life with specially created artwork displayed during the reception following the ceremony.
A Royal Reader's Parting Words
An avid reader herself, Queen Camilla concluded her speech with an inspirational quote from AA Milne: "Always remember: 'You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think', which makes you all winners."
A National Literary Legacy
Since its launch in 2011 by Chris Evans on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, the BBC 500 Words competition has grown into a significant national institution, receiving more than one million story submissions from children across the United Kingdom. The competition continues to inspire young minds to explore their creativity through writing, with royal support adding prestige to this important literary initiative that encourages literacy and imagination among Britain's youth.
