Queen Camilla welcomed young storytellers to the grand final of the beloved BBC 500 Words competition on Friday.
The Queen welcomed the finalists and their families to the historic castle, where six budding authors were crowned winners with stories written in just 500 words.
The event, recorded for The only show, was filled with enthusiasm, applause and plenty of star power.
Famous faces including Jodie Whittaker, Joanna Page and Sara Cox stepped in to read some of the imaginative tales aloud, bringing the children’s words to life for the audience.
During her speech, the Queen shared a heartfelt message for young people around the world, encouraging them to put down their phones every once in a while and immerse themselves in the joy of books and stories.
She spoke about the magic of reading and writing, reminding finalists that stories have the power to take readers on extraordinary journeys.
Camilla also gave a nod to literary history, citing beloved author AA Milne, whose famous bear Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared a century ago.
The Queen joked that Pooh preferred simple words to complicated ones, especially when those words involved lunch.
The competition recognized two age groups, five to seven and eight to eleven, with gold, silver and bronze awards awarded in each category.
Among the big winners were Zuren Zhang and Maya Ukwubiwe, who proudly collected their medals from the Queen during the ceremony.
Since its launch in 2011 by broadcaster Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2 Breakfast showthe competition has inspired over a million young writers across the UK to unleash their creativity.
