The Queen walked into the new Coronation Library at Shirehampton Primary School just as the story being read to the children was reaching its climax. The Queen in the story was visiting Horrid Henry’s school, and a practical history lesson recreating a Tudor daub wall was about to go horribly wrong.
“‘How lovely’, mumbled the Queen, and there’s the Queen…” read the book’s author Francesca Simon to the group of pupils, showing the picture to the children. “Covered in mud,” interrupted Queen Camilla, with a smile. “Did you pick that one especially for the occasion?” she asked the author. “It’s an accident, we just happened to have it,” the author replied.
Later, after the real Queen had toured the school and met pretty much every pupil without getting covered in mud, Francesca Simon admitted that of course it was a deliberate choice, and Camilla knew all along.
