The Queen has claimed victory in a mini F1 race and enjoyed a fanfare of fireworks and singing as she opened a school in east London.
By the time Camilla cut the purple ribbon to officially open the Mulberry Academy London Dock in Wapping on Tuesday, she had been treated to various activities put on by pupils, parents, staff and other members of the school community and supporters.
There was a tea party with cakes made by the mothers of current and former pupils, a tour of a model cityscape, a chat with the school’s theatre group, and a trip to the robotics classroom where the aerodynamics and expertise of racing is brought to life through the F1 in Schools programme.
Camilla raced against an 11-year-old pupil called Mahira, who is part of the Mulberry Stem Academy, which is run in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
The Queen got a first-hand look at some of the work done as part of the schools project in which pupils design, build and race mini F1 cars powered by CO2 and learn about aerodynamics and engineering.
Competing from lane one, Camilla won the sprint car race in 0.900 seconds and her reaction to the starter gun was recorded at 0.198 seconds.
After the race, in which her schoolgirl rival finished in 0.943 seconds despite a faster reaction time of 0.193 seconds, Camilla said: “I can’t believe I beat you. I think you were being very kind.”
Mulberry Academy London Dock, for children aged 11-18, started welcoming pupils in September. The school, part of the Mulberry Schools Trust, began with around 128 Year 7 pupils and plans to expand each year, with hopes to reach full capacity of 1,150 by 2029.
The school was built in collaboration with Tower Hamlets Council and the Department for Education.
After the official opening, Camilla told those gathered: “I think I came to my first visit 12 years ago and since then I appear to have become more and more involved with you.
“Coming to this wonderful new school today just to see how everything is progressing in such a brilliant way, I just hope the Mulberry tradition will go on for ever and ever.
“I think you are doing such a wonderful job for so many children.
“I can only congratulate you and thank you very, very much for having me and letting me win a car race.”
Camilla’s tour included a trip to the science lab where she watched an experiment to extract dye from spinach and beetroot.
She smiled as she watched a five-strong band of 14 and 15-year-old boys bound through an energetic rendition of the rap My Shot from the musical Hamilton, which references King George III.
She then beckoned the boys over, shook their hands and told them they were “brilliant, everybody loved to see and they had their toes tapping”.
She also met pupils involved in the Global Girl Leading programme for youngsters aged 11-18, which focuses on developing leadership and teamwork skills.
Camilla spoke to the youngsters about their recent work with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
Dr Vanessa Ogden, Mulberry Schools Trust chief executive, said the day celebrated the values of “outstanding achievement for all, made possible through the power of partnerships, creativity and ambition”.
Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “We are incredibly proud to have negotiated the land with the developer for this new state-of-the-art school and provided financial support for its development.”
He described the school as “a beacon of opportunity”, adding: “We look forward to seeing the impact it will have on the community for many years to come.”