Queen congratulates teenage winners of Commonwealth essay competition

The Queen congratulated “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” teenage essay prize winners by comparing them to the young author of Mary Poppins.

Camilla has been hosting the Commonwealth’s oldest writing competition for a decade and this year’s theme was “our common wealth”.

Four youngsters aged between 13 and 16 – from Malaysia, Singapore and Uganda – were presented with certificates by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

The competition received a record-breaking 34,939 entries from 54 Commonwealth countries.

The competition winners and runners-up during a reception at Buckingham Palace (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

Camilla said the work by the winners and runners-up reminded her of a statement by the author of Mary Poppins: “A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader.”

She said Pamela Travers was describing writing that “by some strange magic, makes the reader part of the story”, and added “This is definitely true of our wonderful finalists: thanks to your talents, your readers are taken on amazing journeys with you across the Commonwealth.”

Camilla added: “Now, if Mary Poppins were here, I wonder if she would be telling me to hurry up with a brisk ‘spit spot’ so that we can get on to the prize-giving. I will therefore end by saying that there is just one word to describe you all – but I might need some help from Gyles to get it right. You are utterly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

The Queen congratulated junior runner-up, 13-year-old Victor Austin Kiyaga from Uganda, on being the second pupil from his school to be placed in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.

Camilla meeting the winners and runners-up during the reception at Buckingham Palace (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

She asked Victor: “You were at the same school? I don’t believe it, that’s a small world isn’t it,” and added: “I thought it was so clever what you wrote – I can’t believe you were at the same school.”

Actor Richard Ayoade read an extract from Victor’s poem and introduced it by saying “when I grow up I hope to be as good a writer as you, but I doubt it, because this is tremendous”.

Victor is from Mukono and studies at Namilyango Junior Boys School. He writes for his school newspaper and was awarded a participation certificate in the 2023 awards.

Richard Ayoade read an extract from one of the competition entries (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

The two overall winners were from Malaysia, with Erynn Liew, 13, taking home the junior prize.

Emma and Sex Education actor Tanya Reynolds read an extract of Erynn’s writing to the crowd.

Erynn, from Puchong, started writing and doodling in a travel journal at the age of four and has since shifted her focus to the supernatural and fantasy genres.

Camilla asked her how long she had been writing, and said: “Four? You just kept on going?”

She added: “Well it shows how good you are, it’s absolutely fantastic, you must have very good schools out there to help teach you. That’s brilliant.”

Camilla with Evangeline Khoo, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

The senior winner was Evangeline Khoo, 15, from Kuala Lumpur, who, when not writing, plays the drums and has been involved in storytelling and choral singing competitions in Malay and English.

Camilla told Evangeline “you’ve got to keep writing, you’ve got such talent”, before saying to her father “you must be very proud”.

“Two winners from Malaysia – that’s brilliant, absolutely brilliant”, she added.

Members of the Ngati Ranana London Maori club performing during the reception (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown

Toby Stephens, the actor and son of the late Dame Maggie Smith, read an extract from the work of Cristabelle Yeo, 16, from Singapore, who was senior runner-up.

After the awards were presented, the Ngati Ranana London Maori Club performed at the palace and the Queen told group members, some of whom are from New Zealand: “I’ll come and see you again, tell me where you are and I’ll come and see you.”