Queen Camilla showed her cheeky side during an outing in South London on Thursday as she dared a group of excited schoolchildren to fit in a classic red phone box with her for a photograph. Camilla issued the challenge during a visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery to open the new Artplay pavilion and sculpture garden for children.
Taking everyone by surprise, the Queen said to pupils from Dulwich Village Infant School: “Let’s see how many we can get in there?” Six of the youngsters quickly ran in as she joked, “Do you think I can come in too?”
Clearly enjoying herself, the Queen then joined her young visitors to test out a new bridge. However, she drew the line at a huge red slide. “I’m not trying that out, though,” she said with a laugh.
Dressed in a black and white dress by one of her favourite designers, Fiona Clare, Camilla toured the site with Jennifer Scott, the Gallery’s director.
She learnt about how green spaces have been transformed to offer the gallery’s youngest visitors art-based learning experiences and provide new creative spaces for members of the public.
While there, Her Majesty also viewed The Lovington Sculpture Meadow by ‘land architect’ Kim Wilkie, which features a ‘land earthwork’ inspired by the Gallery’s painting, Rembrandt’s ‘The Girl at a Window’ and an ‘art forest’ of 130 newly planted trees to enhance biodiversity in the area.
Inside the Pavilion, Camilla met staff, architects and supporters of the site before officially cutting a ribbon to open it, with the help of two youngsters.
She then went off script once again to try out a new bridge and was quickly copied by some of the children, who then rushed to test the facilities.
“What a wonderful place,” the Queen said warmly.
Opened in 1811, Dulwich Picture Gallery was the world’s first purpose-built public art gallery, dedicated to sharing one of the greatest art collections in the world.