Crowds of smiling children waving Union flags greeted the Duchess of Cornwall today when she visited them at the Zejtun Primary School.

She was presented with a bouquet of flowers at the gates of the school and stopped to speak to her young admirers as she made her way inside.

Camilla joined in with the pupils as they read stories and sang songs as part of her Read With Me literacy programme.

She chatted with several of the children and even gave one little girl a cuddle when she came to say hello.

Camilla admired the youngsters' artwork and put on a flower necklace they had made for her before turning around and saying "how pretty do I look?".

She was presented with a painting done by the pupils before giving the school a bundle of books.

"I hope they will enjoy them as much as my grandchildren did," she said.