Today, Her Majesty The Queen, as Vice-Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society, hosted a reception for the winners and runners-up of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) 2024.
Marking a decade since Her Majesty first began hosting the annual award ceremony at Buckingham Palace, The Queen celebrated the winners of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024, the world’s oldest writing competition for schools delivered by the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) since 1883.
Over the last decade, and with Her Majesty's support, participation in the QCEC has increased from 9,282 entries in 2014 to nearly 35,000 in 2024, with entries hailing from all Commonwealth regions. Over 5,000 schools from across the Commonwealth have participated in the last ten years.
For 2024, the competition theme was ‘Our Common Wealth’. A record-breaking 34,939 children from 54 Commonwealth countries entered this year’s competition, with the winners and runners-up hailing from Malaysia, Singapore, and Uganda.
On arrival, Her Majesty met Dr Linda Yueh CBE, Executive Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Mr Gyles Brandreth, RCS Ambassador and compère for the ceremony, and the winners and runners-up of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024. The 2024 winners are:
Evangeline Khoo, Senior Winner, 15, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Erynn Liew, Junior Winner, 13, Puchong, Malaysia
Cristabelle Yeo, Senior Runner-up, 16, Singapore
Victor Austin Kiyaga, Junior Runner-up, 13, Mukono, Uganda
Addressing guests, Her Majesty said:
"Thanks to your talents, your readers are taken on amazing journeys with you across the Commonwealth, from Gambia to Grenada, from Bangladesh to Botswana, from Malta to Malaysia. You make us part of your story; you invite us to share your concerns and your passions; and you eloquently express the power of “Our Common Wealth”.
Following this, Clive Myrie, Tanya Reynolds, Toby Stephens, and Richard Ayoade read extracts from the winning pieces, and Her Majesty presented certificates to the winners and runners-up.
The Executive Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Dr Linda Yueh CBE, made closing remarks, thanking the competition's sponsor, the Lagos State Government.
At the end of the reception, Her Majesty watched a performance by Ngāti Rānana London Māori Club. Ngāti Rānana, with members hailing from New Zealand, was chosen to perform at The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 Award Ceremony to celebrate Her Majesty’s recent visit to the Pacific.
The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2025 will launch on 14 March 2025.