Queen Camilla meets students at school named in honour of King's aunt

Queen Camilla brought a relaxed touch to her royal engagements in Antigua to one of the island's public beaches before spending time with students at a school named in honour of Princess Margaret. The Queen was pictured barefoot on the sand at Fort James Beach, where she and King Charles met people working to protect Antigua and Barbuda's coastline and marine environment. The visit formed part of the royal couple's Caribbean tour ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Fort James is among the island's well-known public beaches, but its coastline has also faced challenges from erosion. The Antiguan government has been looking at ways to restore and stabilise the shoreline while protecting public access and the surrounding environment. Camilla later visited Princess Margaret School in St John's, where she was greeted by students and staff. A post shared by Rebecca English (@byrebeccaenglish) The school holds a place in the island's educational history, having opened in 1955 as Antigua's first public secondary school. It was named after Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and aunt of King Charles, who officially opened the institution on February 9, 1955. During her visit, the Queen met students taking part in a Commonwealth writing workshop connected with The Queen's Commonwealth Writing Competition. The competition, run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, dates back to 1883 and is recognised as the world's oldest international writing competition for schools. Camilla also spent time with Jodie Haydon, partner of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Marie-France van Heel, partner of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who were pictured alongside the Queen during the school engagement.