Queen Camilla appeared in great spirits as she stepped out to opened a new secondary school in London on Tuesday.
Camilla, 77, beamed as she arrived at Mulberry Academy London Dock, east London, to officially open the school.
She was greeted by children waving Union Jack flags as she looked typically chic in a navy pinstripe blazer and matching skirt for the occasion, which she paired with black leather gloves and suede knee high boots.
During the visit, the monarch spoke to teachers and students as she toured the new school and heard about how it helps young people develop the skills needed to have successful futures.
The Queen was shown the science, robotics, and art classrooms, where she saw demonstrations of the range of activities and programmes children can participate in.
The royal even saw a demonstration of how to build and race cars in the robotics classroom by students participating in the Mulberry STEM Academy in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
In the robotics classroom the aerodynamics and expertise of racing is brought to life through the F1 in the schools programme.
Queen Camilla appeared in great spirits as she stepped out to opened new secondary school Mulberry Academy London Dock, east London, in London on Tuesday
Camilla raced against an 11-year-old pupil called Mahira, who is part of the Mulberry Stem Academy.
The queen, who said ‘there must be lots of very excited children’ taking part in the project, was shown how to press a button to make her car accelerate.
After a trial run, she was up against Mahiri, with the Queen’s car narrowly winning the race.
The Queen said: ‘I can’t believe I beat you. You were being very kind.’
The Queen also met with students involved in Global Girl Leading, a Mulberry Changemaker programme that develops leadership skills for girls aged 11-18.
She was then presented with a cake to take home which she said she would have ‘for my tea’ and met girls taking part.
Camilla also heard about the ways in which the school collaborated with International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day. She placed a battery-operated tea light into position on a giant sign that spelled out GGL.
She also met a group of young writers who she described as ‘the aspiring poets of the future’ and told them to ‘keep jotting down’ their ideas, adding: ‘I think you’re all doing a brilliant job. Keep doing it.’
During the visit, the monarch spoke to teachers and students as she toured the new school and heard about how it helps young people develop the skills needed to have successful futures
The royal looked typically chic in a navy pinstripe blazer and matching skirt for the occasion, which she paired with black leather gloves and suede knee high boots
Visiting the exhibition studio which is part of the Mulberry Production Arts Academy, Camilla saw a huge firework as the school demonstrated its pyrotechnic capabilities.
She then listened as a group of boys sang My Shot from the Hamilton musical about colonies rising up against an oppressive Britain and a revolution against King George III’s oppressive taxation of America.
After finishing the pupils bowed to the Queen. There were clearly no hard feels as she cheered enthusiastically.
‘Brilliant,’ said Camilla shaking hands with the performers afterwards. ‘You had my toes tapping and my hands clapping.’
The new academy is the eighth in a group of schools for the Mulberry Trust. Michelle Obama, the former First Lady, visited Mulberry School for Girls in July 2015 to launch her Let Girls Learn campaign.
At the end of her visit on Tuesday, Camilla was thanked for her ‘steadfast support’ for the trust over the past 12 years.
After cutting a purple ribbon to officially open the school, the Queen gave an off-the-cuff speech in which she said: ‘Thank you very much for having me and for letting me win the car race.’
Reflecting on the visit, Dr Vanessa Ogden, CEO, Mulberry Schools Trust, said: ‘Her Majesty’s presence was a tremendous honour and a testament to the exceptional work of our students, staff and community.
Camilla chatted to teachers and enjoyed some lunch after her tour around the school
In the robotics classroom the aerodynamics and expertise of racing is brought to life through the F1 in the schools programme
Camilla raced against an 11-year-old pupil called Mahira, who is part of the Mulberry Stem Academy
The queen, who said ‘there must be lots of very excited children’ taking part in the project, was shown how to press a button to make her car accelerate
‘The day celebrated the values at the heart of the Mulberry Schools Trust: outstanding achievement for all, made possible through the power of partnerships, creativity and ambition.
‘I would like to extend my thanks to all the delivery partners involved in the school build whose support was instrumental in bringing this vision to life.’
The tour also included meetings with parents of students participating in sewing and baking classes, and students involved in the ‘Letters to Our Daughters’ poetry project.
Observing a class where pupils were extracting chlorophyll from spinach, she said: ‘My goodness, I haven’t seen on of these Bunsen burners for a very long time.’
Later, Camilla unveiled a commemorative sculpture in the school’s Atrium and watched a performance by the school choir before departing.
The school, which welcomed its first cohort of 128 Year 7 students in September was built in partnership with Tower Hamlets Council and the Department for Education, it plans to expand progressively each year until reaching full capacity in 2029.
It’s not the first time Camilla has visited a school in the Mulberry Schools Trust, having visited Mulberry School for Girls twice before.
In October 2019, she visited the inspirational Mulberry School for Girls where she learned about the school’s partnership with the Women of the World (WOW) Festival, of which she serves as President.
Camilla received a a very warm welcome at the school as students came out to greet her
Camilla received a warm welcome during a visit to Mulberry Academy London Dock, east London
Camilla beamed as she arrived at Mulberry Academy London Dock, east London
The Queen was told all about the programme Global Girl Leading and its recent work
Queen Camilla has a cup of tea with Sabina Khan, parent liaison officer during a visit to the Mulberry Academy
Camilla was impressed by the reception she received during her visit at the new school
During her tour Camilla saw art focused on female empowerment and watched a Shakespearean-inspired performance by the Mulberry Theatre Company in which the gender roles are reversed, which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival earlier this year, before joining a round-table discussion on issues raised during the play.
Meanwhile she also opened the Mulberry and Bigland Green Community Centre in February 2013.
Camilla wasn’t the only royal out on official business today, as The Princess of Wales stepped out to launch an ‘interactive trail’ to support social and emotional development in under fives with pupils from All Souls CE Primary School in Marylebone.
Kate, 43, looked delighted today as she arrived at the National Portrait Gallery in central London hand-in-hand with a five-year-old girl after riding next to her on the bus.
The Princess rode the bus with pupils and made a special bond with five-year-old Grace, walking hand-in-hand with her throughout the gallery – despite the young girl having no idea who the royal was.
Kate was dressed in in a brown blazer over a black high-necked wool jumper, as well as £220 pinstripe Jigsaw trousers.
The royal got a tour of an exhibition at the Mulberry Production Arts Academy
Camilla during a visit to Mulberry Academy London Dock, east London, to officially open the new secondary school
Camilla, 77, was shown around the school which opened last September
Adding to the glamorous look, Kate wore her Sézane Bruna Earrings and her Halcyon Days Salamander Torque Forget-Me-Not & Gold Bangle – believed to be a gift from Prince William.
While Her Royal Highness bonded and chatted to dozen of pupils, Grace, five, became firm friends with the Princess, clutching her hand as they arrived after they sat together on the bus.
Alix Ascough, executive headteacher at All Souls, said: ‘Kate had been asked if she would have a partner, and she was sat next to Grace on the coach and Grace had chatted away to her the whole journey.’
But the youngster did not know she was holding hands with the future Queen.
‘She knew it was a very special visitor,’ added Alix. ‘We told her she was a princess. She just called her Catherine.’
She said of the bus journey: ‘The children, they’re four or five years old. They’re completely oblivious to everything that’s happening.
‘They were just like, ‘we’ve got a posh coach with nice lights and aircon’ and Catherine was wonderful, really chatty with the children.
‘And just felt like a really relaxed journey. She was helping out with the children, helping out with their jumpers. It was just lovely.’
Alix said of the children: ‘They absolutely loved it. It was so magical, the awe and wonder. And just as they came in and they saw the tree and the magic of the day… I don’t think we’ll ever have another school trip like it!’
She said the Princess said it had been a ‘wonderful opportunity’ to be with the children in the gallery.
‘She was complimenting the children and how well behaved they were and what good artists they were because they had the opportunity to draw pictures,’ she added.
‘Those experiences that we give the children are incredibly important, and days like today, where those experiences become magical, you sow those seeds for lifelong learning.’
The Princess had emerged from the bus, which was organised by Kensington Palace, as opposed to being their normal school minibus, holding Grace’s hand.
She helped to shepherd the children into a crocodile before they made their way into the Gallery.
