The Queen displayed her playful side as she bundled into a phone box with eight schoolchildren during her latest royal engagement. Camilla, 78, joined pupils from Dulwich Village Infant School as she opened the new Artplay Pavilion and Sculpture Garden’ at Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London on Thursday. Her Majesty looked elegant in a black and white Fiona Clare dress and beige heels as she toured the site with Jennifer Scott, Director the Gallery.
As she stopped at a Giles Gilbert Scott classic red phone box, Camilla surprised staff by asking the children, who were aged six and seven: “Let’s see how many we can get in there?”, pointing to the structure. As the youngsters huddled inside, Camilla, 78, was heard asking: “Do you think I could come in too?” which prompted laughter from everyone as she squeezed in, with Mrs Scott saying: “Oh your Majesty, we weren’t expecting that! What a treat.” Watch the video above.
During her outing, the Queen was taken into the Artplay Pavilion, a new indoor play area, where she tried out some of the equipment, peering into some of the nooks and crannies before the children rushed in to play. However, she wasn’t convinced to try the slide, remarking: “I’m not going down that slide!”
© Getty Images
© Getty ImagesThe gallery, which opened to the public more than 200 years ago and was the world’s first purpose-built public art gallery, has a new sculpture garden which is free to access. Camilla was visibly impressed by the Lovington sculpture meadow, which features a range of sculptures and an earthwork inspired by Rembrandt’s The Girl At A Window. As she departed, two schoolchildren gave her a gift bag from the gallery and some flowers, to which she told them: “Thank you very much. I’m very lucky.”
Back to royal duties
The outing at Dulwich Picture Gallery marked the Queen’s third consecutive day of engagements. On Tuesday, Camilla visited some of her patronages in Cornwall, including ShelterBox, Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust’s Headquarters to unveil a new helicopter as well as meeting some of the projects supported by the Cornwall Community Foundation.
© Getty ImagesHer trip to Cornwall came after the revelation she fought off a sexual assault when she was a teenager was revealed in a new royal book. On Wednesday, she was presented with an Army brooch to mark her dedication to the 4th Battalion of The Ranger Regiment, as she visited its barracks in Aldershot.
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