On Wednesday 26 October the Winners and Runners-up of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2016 attended an Award Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The special reception was hosted by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.
Junior Winner Gauri Kumar, 14, from Singapore; Senior Runner-up Esther Mungalaba, 19, from Lusaka, Zambia and Junior Runner-up Tan Wan Gee, 14, also from Singapore were each presented with their certificates by The Duchess. Senior Winner Inessa Rajah, from South Africa, was unable to attend the Award Ceremony. She will, however, celebrate her achievement with the Royal Commonwealth Society during Commonwealth Week in March 2017.
The young writers were flown to London for Winners’ Week – a week-long programme of cultural and educational activities, including a tour of Parliament and a day trip to Cambridge, the latter organised by the competition’s sponsor, Cambridge University Press.
Among the 70 guests at the reception were Children’s Laureate, illustrator Chris Riddell and representatives from the Governments of Singapore and Zambia. Commonwealth organisations were also represented with guests including Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Minister for the Middle East and Africa, Tobias Ellwood MP, Director of The Queen’s Trust, Nicola Brentnall MVO and other prominent figures.
Awarded for their submissions on the 2016 competition theme ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth,’ the Winners explored contemporary topics including the struggle to find a diasporic identity, the importance of equality and the global migrant crisis.
Gauri Kumar said: “Winners’ Week has been amazing, Buckingham Palace is breathtaking.”
Gauri continued: “The topic of my essay is a very pertinent issue with my family and it comes up a lot.”
Claire Whitaker OBE said: “As the Chair of Trustees of the Royal Commonwealth Society, I am immensely proud of our work in facilitating this essay competition in the name of our patron, Her Majesty The Queen. The success of this year’s competition is a testament to the continuing importance and relevance of the Commonwealth and its values for young people.”
