Queen Camilla was introduced to Paddington Bear during a reception for young writers at Windsor Castle today.
Everyone’s favourite bear sweetly curtsied before shaking hands with Camilla, 78, as she hosted the finals of the BBC 500 Words competition this afternoon.
She also shared a heartfelt moment with a young guest during the star-studded event attended by the judges, finalists and celebrity readers for this year’s edition of the national writing prize.
The Queen, who has supported the prize since 2015, also welcomed celebrities like Rose Ayling-Ellis, The One Show stars, Roman Kemp and Alex Jones, and Sir Lenny Henry to Windsor Castle this afternoon.
Camilla opted for a black-and-white polka dot dress for the occasion, as she congratulated the 50 finalists chosen from a pool of over 45,000 submissions.
Camilla, like other senior royals, is continuing her public duties after the unprecedented arrest of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor last week.
Yesterday, she joined King Charles, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in the largest gathering of royals since Andrew’s arrest.
His Majesty handed out The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education St James’s Palace on Tuesday, February 24, after he pledged ‘my family and I will continue in our duty and service’ in a statement following his younger brother’s arrest.
Queen Camilla was introduced to Paddington Bear during a reception for young writers at Windsor Castle
Camilla, 78, also received a warm hug from one of the attendees as she hosted the judges, finalists and celebrity readers for this year’s edition of BBC 500 Words for emerging talent
BBC 500 Words is the UK’s most prestigious writing competition and has been supported by Queen Camilla for more than a decade.
It encourages youngsters aged between five and 11 to write a short story from their own imagination.
Last month, Camilla joined the panel of judges – chaired by Alex and Rose – to select 50 of the best entries out of 46,500 submissions from writers across the UK.
Of these finalists, six stories will be read out by celebrities at today’s reception, which was also attended by a slew of BBC stars, including Jodie Whittaker, Sara Cox, and Bradley Walsh.
BBC 500 Words judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce previously said the competition is ‘a highlight of my calendar’ in a statement.
‘Every year I’m amazed at how funny, wise, ambitious and bonkers our children’s stories can be. And every year we judges have a massive fight about which story is the funniest, wisest, most ambitious and most bonkers,’ the acclaimed author said.
The final will be televised on The One Show on March 6, World Book Day.
The Prince of Wales also carried out a solo engagement today as Prince William, 43, visited the Francis Crick Institute in central London.
Scientists left their labs to applaud Prince William, 43, as he arrived at the biomedical research centre to highlight British innovation in the field on Thursday afternoon.
Paddington Bear stopped by the Queen’s reception for the finalists of the BBC 500 Words competition, as he was joined by actress Marisha Wallace (centre)
The One Show star Alex Jones (left) making formal introductions
The Welsh broadcaster watches as Paddington Bear salutes Camilla
Other guests included Jodie Whittaker (left), Sara Cox, and Bradley Walsh
Two Gladiators also attended the reception at Windsor Castle today
Queen Camilla shares a laugh with Sir Lenny Henry, one of the judges of this year’s edition of the literary prize for emerging talent
Roman Kemp and his co-presenter Alex Jones also joined the celebrity line-up for today’s reception
The heir to the British throne visited the centre to meet researchers investigating how the brain works.
Earlier this week, Camilla put on a brave face at a horse racing event near her childhood home in East Sussex, as the police investigation into Andrew for misconduct in public office continues.
It is understood the former Duke of York was arrested in relation to allegations he passed sensitive information to convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the British government.
King Charles issued an unprecedented statement confirming his ‘wholehearted support and co-operation’ with the investigation into Andrew just hours after he was detained – with Buckingham Palace understood not to have known the former Duke of York would be arrested.
The statement said: ‘I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.
‘What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.
‘Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.’
William and Kate are understood to support the King.