Queen Consort Camilla shared a touching hug with Spice Girl Geri Horner at an event where she paid tribute to the "dear" and "greatly missed" late Queen.
Her Majesty hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace today for the winners of the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, where Geri and fellow pop star Alexandra Burke were among the guests.
And as Camilla was introduced to Geri, the two women held hands and hugged while they appeared to swap book recommendations.
Geri recommended The Book Thief by Markus Zusak to Camilla, who said she had it on her “reading board” for the Royal Reading Room.
Meanwhile, when it came to giving a speech, Camilla referred to her "greatly missed" late mother-in-law who is "much in our thoughts".
She told those gathered at the Palace: "I cannot begin without paying tribute to my dear mother-in-law, who is much in our thoughts today and who is greatly missed by us all.
"She had been patron of The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1952 and throughout her remarkable reign, its vision to improve the lives and prospects of all Commonwealth citizens remained, as you know, close to her heart.
"It was on this date November 17th that Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558. She once said of herself that while she was aware of the merits of monarchs that preceded her, 'you never had any that will love you better'.
"A description that might well just apply to Queen Elizabeth II and her love for the Commonwealth.
"Over the past few months, my husband and I have drawn immense comfort from the messages of condolence that we have received, and continue to receive, from the four corners of the world.
"They have reminded us that the written word has a unique ability to connect, to heal, to reassure and to offer hope, even in the midst of grief."
Camilla noted Nelson Mandela had been frequently referenced in the winning essays and commented on his visit to Buckingham Palace in 2014 and her and Charles' 2011 trip to Johannesburg.
She said: "All of us are bound together by a profound appreciation of the written word and of our Commonwealth".
A record-breaking 26,322 children entered the 2022 competition, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the UK and India.
The senior winner was 17-year-old Sawooly Li from New Zealand. Ms Li said Camilla “was lovely” and had spoken to all the nominees individually, adding that the day had been “an amazing experience”.
Camilla also met three previous winners and runners-up from 2020 and 2021, who were not able to attend awards ceremonies due to Covid restrictions.
For 2022, the competition theme was Our Commonwealth, reflecting on the Queen’s seven decades of service to the Commonwealth.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools.
It was founded in 1883 by the Royal Commonwealth Society to promote literacy, expression and creativity among young people throughout the Commonwealth.
