There was a surprise for primary school children in Islington as Queen Camilla opened a new Coronation Library. The opening comes just after the first anniversary of the day she was crowned alongside her husband, King Charles, at Westminster Abbey.
As His Majesty continues his treatment for cancer, the 76-year-old Queen made the journey alone to Moreland Primary School. In partnership with the National Literacy Trust, the library marks the 50th in a series of special primary school libraries transformed over the last year to mark the historic milestone. Her Majesty serves as patron of the Trust. Queen Camilla joined in on an interactive storytelling session with young librarians from across the city.
Queen reveals secret to getting ahead in life
Before opening the new library, The Queen listened to children’s laureate, Joseph Coelho, who read a poem that he wrote for the occasion, ’One Thousand Libraries.’ But what is a visit to a primary school without stopping at the playground?! The Queen was greeted by the school choir as they waved flags decorated with their favourite book characters. While there was fun to be had, there were also wise words The Queen wanted students to walk away with hearing:
“You’re really lucky to have such a beautiful library and I hope you’re going to enjoy reading all the books because the more books you read, the more you’re going to learn. “The more you’re going to learn, the more you’re going to get on in life. It’s so important to keep reading, and I think having a library like this makes a huge difference to all of you here. Good luck and keep reading.”
Coronation link to books on show
The library is stocked with 300 new books featuring the top 23 children’s books as selected by the UK primary school children in honour of the Coronation. Students can also find a copy of the Chase Coronation Collection along the bookshelf. Reflecting on the day, Catherine Lawrence, headteacher at the primary school said:
“This new chapter for our library is a momentous occasion for our school and community. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and the library will cement our aim to not only empower every child with the tools they need to succeed, but also foster a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. Access to books at home is limited for many of our children; this new library gives families the opportunity to share the joy of books together, regardless of their background or circumstance.”
The library is the 1000th primary school to open as part of the Trust’s Primaries campaign. The campaign works to establish libraries in UK primary schools where there are low levels of literacy in the community. The independent charity aims to empower children, young people, and adults and has done so for more than 30 years. Her Majesty became patron of the Trust when she was the Duchess of Cornwall, in November 2010.
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