A children’s writing competition with a prize to “meet Her Majesty The Queen” in Britain has sparked confusion and jokes online as social media users have questioned which “Queen” they could be referring to.
The 500 Words competition launched its 2024 challenge on Tuesday with a press release encouraging children to engage in creative writing.
The competition, which is open to children aged five to 11 in the U.K., was founded in 2011 and sees thousands of short stories under 500 words entered for consideration. This year, a panel of well-known names in the literary world will select the 50 finalists who will be hosted at a special reception at Buckingham Palace by Queen Camilla.
A passionate supporter of literacy projects and head of her own “Queen’s Reading Room” charity, Camilla has made reading among young people a key part of her working output as a member of the royal family.
However, the BBC 500 Words press announcement on social media has inspired a wave of jokes and posts, expressing confusion over the reference to “Her Majesty The Queen,” which many appear to still link to the late .
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From 1952 until , Elizabeth was known formally as Her Majesty The Queen.
After the monarch’s death, her son Charles became and is known formally as His Majesty The King.
Charles’ wife, Camilla, became Queen Consort, formally being referred to in palace communications after the coronation as Her Majesty The Queen, while Queen Elizabeth is now known as Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
There was as to whether Camilla should be known only as The Queen Consort, or The Queen and Queen Camilla. The latter two were adopted in line with tradition. All previous queen consorts were also known as The Queen or Queen followed by their first name.
Social media users responding to the BBC 500 Words announcement on Tuesday, humorously suggested that in promising children a prize to “meet Her Majesty The Queen” they were referring to the late queen.
“Winners will go to the afterlife,” wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user.
“Prepare to meet the queen, are you ready for eternity,” another.
“I regret to inform the BBC press office that the queen is dead,” posted another, with a further account : “Not the BBC threatening children with death if they win the storytelling competition 💀.”
Regalrumination.com approached Buckingham Palace and the BBC via email for comment.
The BBC 500 Words competition runs through to November 8 for U.K. residents with the finalists announced in February 2025.
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