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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Russell Myers

Queen Camilla impresses school kids as she shows off little-known artistic talent

The Queen Consort showed off her artistic side by drawing mythical beast the Gruffalo at a visit to a primary school in Germany.

Alongside the illustrator behind the global bestseller, Axel Scheffler, Camilla read passages from the book before having a go at sketching the beast herself.

Camilla, 75, was also quizzed by children and revealed last night she watched one of her horses give birth on a feed from home.

Asked by children if she spoke German she replied jokingly with "nein" and revealed her favourite animals are dogs and horses.

Camilla also joined in with children drawing a Gruffalo following instructions of illustrator Axel Scheffler.

Queen Camilla during a visit to a primary school in Hamburg (PA)

She held up her impressive drawing and said: “This is my Gruffalo”. She signed the pencil Camilla R and left it with the class.

Quizzed by children she said: "I love dogs. Dogs are my favourite animal."

She added: "I have two pet dogs, they are Jack Russell Terriers Beth and Bluebell and I rescued them.

"They were left by the side of the road to die. I’m patron of Battersea Cats and Dogs Home and kind people come along and rescue them.

Camilla sketched a picture of the Gruffalo (PA)
Camilla proudly holds up her drawing (WireImage)

Asked about her trip, the Queen Consort said: "I like Germany, it’s very nice, this is my fourth visit here, I like it very much. I like meeting all the children."

She also revealed her favourite hobbies are gardening, reading and swimming in the sea.

Talking about her hobbies, Camilla said: "I used to have horses I rode but sadly I don’t ride any longer. I think I’m too old but I have racehorses."

"Last night I watched on my screen one of the foals being born which was very exciting."

Camilla's impressive Gruffalo drawing (Jens B'ttner/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
Camilla in Hamburg earlier today (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Together with Hamburg-born Axel Scheffler and Frau Budenbender, wife of the German President, they read from the Gruffalo in English and German with grade three children aged eight and nine years old.

Camilla was the narrator and Scheffler read the Gruffalo and the children sang the Gruffalo song in English.

After the reading, Camilla said the children were “very, very good.” She added: “And brilliant illustrations from my friend on the left.”

The children also practised illustrating after being inspired by the famous picture book.

Camilla reads the Gruffalo with the children (PA)

In the school’s dining room children aged six and seven years old sang a song to her in English and in German to bid farewell.

Scheffler said: “It is extremely important for children to read and draw as one in five children in the UK do not have a single book. Some children cannot even read or write and it is a big problem.

“The Queen Consort is very much involved in changing that.

“It is great to read the Gruffalo in both English and German. The children even know the Gruffalo song in both languages.”

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