Radio Times Royal Wedding cover: how we chose the winner | Radio Times

The winning entry was drawn by six-year-old Archie Lovett. Radio Times travelled to Scargill Infant School in Rainham in Essex to break the good news, and found that the whole school was waiting to congratulate him.

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Royal Wedding cover, SL

“I feel great,” Archie told us. “I was shocked when I saw my mum at school today!

“I used felt-tip pens and looked at pictures of Harry and Meghan for the idea – Harry’s my favourite, because I’d like to be a prince! If I was a prince for the day, I’d tell everyone what to do.

“It’s fantastic that people will buy my cover in the shops. I like art – I like copying pictures of Peter Rabbit and drawing football, my favourite team is Tottenham.”

Archie Lovett (Radio Times)

(Radio Times)

It was a lovely surprise, too, for his mum Carley, who had no idea he’d entered the competition. “It’s been hard to keep it a secret, I can’t believe it,” she says. “I’m off-the-scale proud of Archie – when he draws, he takes his time over it and puts his all in. Archie was born the year William and Kate got married, so I remember that really well! It’s a very special event, and we’ll defnitely be watching at home.”

So what swung the judges’ decision? “We could easily have had 1,000 winners because the standard was so high,” says Shem Law. “But what made Archie’s drawing stand out from all the others is the fact that it’s such a strong graphic image combined with a naive charm. It’s simple, brilliant and it will really hit you in the eyes when you see it in your newsagent’s.”

Does Archie have a future as an illustrator? “Give me a call in 20 years...”

Archie and the three runners-up will each receive signed copies of books by David Walliams and Lauren Child. The three runners up are Elizabeth Lucas, 8, from Meltham Moor Primary School in Holmfirth; Johnny Young, 6, from Hale Prep School in Hale; and Charles Gall, 6, King's House School in Richmond, London.

Elizabeth Lucas (RT)

Johnny Young (RT)

Charles Gall (RT)

Thank you to the schools that took part:

Hawkhurst Primary School, Hawkhurst

Cheam School, Berkshire,

Pratts Bottom Primary School, Kent

Baildon C0f E Primary School, West Yorkshire

Hurstpierpoint Pre School, Hassocks

Rushmoor School, Bedford,

Edge Grove School, Hertfordshire

Lansdown Primary School, Essex

Chepstow House School, London

Tower College, Rain Hill

St Joseph's Catholic School, London

Beckford Primary School

St Hilda's School, Hertfordshire

St Pauls C E Academy, West Midlands

Beechwood Primary Academy, Plymouth

Edge Grove Pre Prep Cedar Class, Herts

Saltford School

Swinderby All Saints Primary School, Swinderberry Lincoln

Tormead School, Surrey

Goodwyn School, London

Dorothy Barley Infant School, Essex

Boxgrove Primary School, Surrey

The Froebelian School, Leeds

New Pitsligo & St John's School, Fraserburgh

Scargill Infant School, Rainham Essex

Westfield School, Independent Day School for Girls, Newcastle upon Tyne

Northside Primary School, London

RGS Springfield, Worcester

Hillside Primary School, Huddersfield

Yarrells School, Dorset

Clase Primary School, Swansea

Halterworth Primary School, Hampshire

Warwick Preparatory School, Warwick

Boughton Primary School, Northampton

Fairlop Primary School, Hainault

Winton Primary School, Bournemouth

Baden Powell and St Peter's Junior School, Dorset

St Martin's Northwood Preparatory School, Middlesex

College Park Infant School, Portsmouth

Easterfield School, Aberdeenshire

Hawthorn Tree School, Boston

Old Palace Primary School, Bromley by Bow

Chater Infant School, Hertfordshire

Hale Prep School, Cheshire

Corpus Christi Primary School, New Malden

Dalrymple Primary School, Dalrymple

Scott Primary School, Bedford

Burley and Woodhead Church of England Primary School, Ilkley West Yorkshire

Henley Green Primary School, Coventry

Hacton Primary School

Marlbrook Primary School, Herefordshire

Akira School

Harrowgate Hill Primary School, Darlington

Reculver Cof E Primary School, Kent

Sydenham High Junior School, London

St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Primary School, Luton

Howell's School, Llandaff, Cardiff Rd, Cardiff

St Paul's C of E Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent

Burnham on Crouch Primary School, Essex

Grrenleas School, Beds

Horspath Primary School, Oxford

Hunter Hall School, Cumbria

Parsonage Farm Primary School, Essex

Stromness Primary School, Orkney

Park Hall Junior Academy, West Midlands

MDCPS, Market Deeping

Waverley School and Nursery, Berkshire

Newcastle Preparatory School, Jesmond

St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Birmingham

Comberton Primary School, Worcestershire

Liphook Infant School, Hampshire

Elmwood Primary School, Essex

Charleston Primary School, Manchester

St Martin's Academy, Chester

Lady Barn House School, Manchester

St Teresa's School, Surrey

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, London

Horspath Primary, Oxford

Ipswich High School, Suffolk

Waterside Rd, Jedburgh

Garthorpe Primary School, Luddington North Lincolnshire

Netherton Infant and Nursery School

Malmesbury Primary School, London

Overfields Primary School, Middlesborough

Croft Primary School, Sutton-in-Ashfield

All Saints Junior School, Maidenhead

Adelaide Primary School, Hull

Twyford School, Winchester

Temple Primary School

Hilltop Infant School

Sinai Primary School

Croft Preparatory School

Kinross Primary School

Abacus Belsize Primary School

Meadow View JMI School

Whittakermoss Primary

RHWS Primary

Newhey Community Primary

Harpfield Primary

Holywell Church of England Primary

Roos CE VC Primary

Avon House Preparatory School, Essex

St Saviour C of E Primary School, Manchester

Swaffield School

Greenfield Primary School, Leicester

King's House School Junior Dept, Richmond

St Margaret Mary's Catholic Junior School, Hyton Liverpool

St Richard's Catholic Primary School, Kent

Delamere C of E Academy

Broomley First School

Naima Jewish Preparatory School, London

Riverside Primary School, Leicester

St John the Baptist Primary School, Nottingham

Wells Primary School, Woodford Green

Blanford Mere Primary School, Kingswimford

Somerville JI School, Birmingham

Walford Primary School, Herefordshire

Park School, Bournemouth Dorset

Greenfield Primary School, Cherry Tree Str, Hoyland Barnsley

Poppleton Rd Primary School, Poppleton Rd, York

St Clare's Primary School, Leicestershire

St Joseph's Primary School, Linlithgow

The Premier Academy Saffron St, Bletchley MK

Broad Bent Fold Primary School and Nursery, Dukingfield

Boxgrove Primary School

St Joseph's & St Theresa Catholic Primary School,Staffordshire

High March School, Beaconsfield

Woodford Green Preparatory School, Essex

Overfields Primary School, Middlesborough

Croft Primary School, Nottinghamshire

All Saints Jr School, Maidenhead

Byron Primary School,Kent

Greenfield Primary School, Leicester

Ings Farm Primary School, Redcar

Rydall Penrhos Prep School, Colwyn Bay

Irby Primary School, Coombe Road

Watermore Primary School, Bristol

Hollingwood Primary School

Little Common School, East Sussex

Baslow St. Anne's C of E Primary School

Nottingham Girl's High School, Nottingham

Howell's School, Cardiff

Bisham C of E Academy, Marlow

St Margaret Mary's Catholic Jr School, Liverpool

St Mary's CE (A) First School

St John The Baptist Primary, Fareham

Lanlivery Primary Academy, Cornwall

3rd Theydon Bois (St. Mary's) Brownie Pack

Fourfields Community Primary School, Peterborough

Highbury Primary School, Cosham

Exwixk Heights Primary School, Exeter

Randal Cremer Primary

Alvaston Infant & Nursery School, Derby

Oasis Academy Putney

Swaffield School, St Ann's Hill, London

Ranelagh Primary School, Ipswich

Rhŵs Primary School, Vale of Glamorgan

Hillsborough Primary School, Sheffield

Warden Hill Infant School, Luton

Upton Infant School, Dorset

Walter Infant School, Berks

St Boniface RC Primary School, London

Netherlee Primary School, Glasgow

Knowl Hill C of E Academy, Knowl Hill

St. Mary's School

New Pitsligo & St John's Primary, New Pitsligo

Woodpecker Club, Streetly

Newport C of E Primary, Newport

Canford Heath Jr. School

Southford C of E Primary School, Saltford

Blackshaw Primary School, Bolton

St Lawrence Junior Academy, Kent

Queen's Gate School, London

Clapham Manor Primary School, London

The Pointer School, London

St Ambrose Catholic Primary School, Kidderminster

Mead Vale Primary School, Worle

Four Lanes Infants, Basingstoke

Scargill CE Primary School, Derbyshire

All Souls C of E Primary School, Kent

Ardley Hill Academy, Bedfordshire

Linton Primary School,Morpeth

Milton Ernest C of E Primary, Bedford

Swaresey Primary School, Cambridgeshire:

Our Lady of the Assumption, Blackpool

White Waltham CE Academy, Berkshire

St. Leonards Primary School, Exeter

Shelton Junior School, Derby

St Teresa's Catholica Academy, Wokingham

Beck Row Primary Academy, Suffolk

Archbishop Sumner C of E Primary School, London

Troon Community Primary School, Cornwall

Corbridge C of E First School, Northumberland

Ruswarp Primary School, Whitby

Queen Edith Community Primary School, Cambridge

St Cuthbert & The First Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Bradford

Divine Saviour Catholic Primary School,Watford

East Lane Primary, North Wembley

Gartree High School, Oadby

Oldfield Primary School, Chester

Beacon Primary School, West Midlands

St Peters RC Primary School, Edinburgh

Guildford High Jr. School

Lavendar Primary School

Brampton Primary Academy, Bexleyheath

River Primary School, Dover

Temple Hill Primary Academy, Dartford

St Helen's Catholic Primary School, London

Read on at: RadioTimes.com/RoyalWeddingCover