Golden Jubilee Poetry Competition winners

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

The Royal Household today announced the results of The Queen's Golden Jubilee Poetry Competition, which saw almost 4,000 children from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland put pen to paper to commemorate a great historical event in an enjoyable and lasting way.

The winners in the three age categories will be invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace and presented by The Queen with specially commissioned gold, silver and bronze medals, based on Raphael's Study for the Figure of Poetry.

The themes of the entries, which were judged by a panel of leading poets chaired by the Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, ranged from The Queen herself and aspects of her time on the throne, to a particular incident or historical event which happened during the past last 50 years.

Andrew Motion said: "The range and quality of the poems were extraordinary and the competition as a whole lived up to our highest hopes.

"It is a great thing to have poetry forming such a central part of the jubilee celebrations."

Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Michael Peat, added: "The poems have been fun and rewarding, and a good way to involve schools and young people in the Jubilee."

All entries will be preserved for posterity in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle. The fifty best poems will be published in the book Fifty Jubilee Poems, copies of which will be sent to all participating schools. Copies will also be for sale with all the proceeds going to two nominated Golden Jubilee charities; Barnardo's and I-CAN.