Poetry and cake on the menu for Queen at tea party

The Queen has joined children and the elderly for a poetry recital and tea party in Ealing.

The event, held at Fielding Primary School on Tuesday, was part of the Poetry Together initiative.

Poetry Together was launched in 2019 by broadcaster Gyles Brandreth in partnership with Dukes Education and National Poetry Day.

Children and their grandparents gathered at the school’s assembly hall to recite a variety of poems from memory.

One group of schoolchildren and their grandparents recited Mary Howitt’s 1829 poem The Spider And The Fly for the Queen.

Camilla said their performance was “absolutely incredible”.

“Brilliant, that was absolutely incredible,” she said.

“It’s a long poem to remember.”

After watching the recitals, Camilla presented participants with certificates.

She then joined two performers dressed as Alice and the Mad Hatter on stage to cut a cake baked at Buckingham Palace.

Introducing the honey and cream sponge cake, Brandreth said that the Queen had brought it with her.

“I didn’t bake it,” she said, to laughter from the audience.

The Queen and Gyles Brandreth join children and care home residents for a Poetry Together recital and tea party (Doug Seeberg/The Sun/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Doug Seeburg/The Sun

She then stood up to cut the cake.

As well as performances by children and the elderly, the Queen watched a recital by poet Roger McGough.

She then attended a tea party in the school, where she met care home residents involved in the scheme.

Speaking at the event, Brandreth said he had “always loved poetry”.

“I have always loved poetry, since I was a very young boy and began learning poetry as a very young boy,” he said.

“I am still learning poetry.

“The poem I’m learning at the moment is quite a short one it’s a limerick.

“There was a young man from Peru.

“Whose limericks stopped at line two.”

Poetry Together encourages schoolchildren and the elderly to come together and recite poetry.

Since its foundation, more than 800 care homes and schools have participated in the initiative.