Queen Camilla has praised the 'brilliant' young winners of this year's 500 Words competition at a Buckingham Palace reception, marking the first time the awards ceremony has been held at the royal residence. Addressing finalists, judges and guests in the ballroom, she highlighted the venue's literary history, noting that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was knighted there in 1902 by King Edward VII.
The Queen revealed that since its inception in 2011, the competition has generated 'half a billion words' from children across the UK, creating the world's largest collection of children's writing. She expressed delight that the event returned after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying: 'I never thought we would get the show on the road again.'
In conversation with host Romesh Ranganathan, Camilla shared her love of reading, attributing it to her father, who 'had the biggest collection of books you've ever seen'. She also recalled reading classics such as The Gruffalo and Harry Potter to her grandchildren, adding with a laugh: 'My grandchildren are all teenagers now, I think they'll be reading to me!'
The ceremony featured performances by Britain's Got Talent star Skylar Blu and the cast of West End musical Matilda, alongside celebrity readers including Hugh Bonneville and Luke Evans. Six overall winners received medals, with Henry Beeston, aged 7, winning bronze for his story The Alien and the Purple Planet. Spencer Marshall, 11, from Glasgow, took silver in the 8-11 category for The Scottish Gangster, describing his medal as 'the best thing ever'.
