Three fabulous poems by young people in East Cambridgeshire have been selected to help East Cambridgeshire District Council celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation. 

The Council ran a poetry competition over the Easter Holidays, with under 18s being asked to compile an illustrated poem entitled “If I were King Charles for the day.” 

Oscar Ritchie, aged nine and a pupil at Haddenham, Archie Farthing, also nine from Dullingham and Rowan Chadwick Redfarn, 11, from Ely impressed judges with their thoughtful and funny poems illustrated with crowns, cakes and banana milkshakes.

In keeping with the King’s love for the environment they will each receive a £50 National Garden Gift Voucher.

Their poems will also have the honour of appearing in an illustrated anthology of 20 shortlisted poems from across the district. A copy of the book will be sent to King Charles III to celebrate his Coronation.

All shortlisted competition entries will be on display at the council offices at The Grange in Nutholt Lane, Ely throughout June and July.

Councillor Julia Huffer, said: “We were astounded with the quality, diversity and imagination shown in all of the entries we received. Whittling the applicants down to 20 was certainly a tough ask. As well as being a fun and entertaining read I was genuinely touched by how many entries referenced the environment, caring for others and doing good deeds. Eating lots of cake was mentioned quite a bit too!”

Also shortlisted to appear in the book were poems by:

• Rafe Hobart
• Isabelle Toone
• Charlotte Karger
• Aurelia Monument
• Lyra Schultz
• Farah Karim
• Olivia D’Souza
• Effie McKeane-Dicks
• Ellie Almond
• Tala-Al-Dmour
• Aya Hussain
• Lia Lay
• Sohaib Sohaib
• Jacob Powell
• Siriya Paragon
• Imogen Matthews
• Hephzibah Akinwale