Budding literary stars will meet the Duchess of Cornwall when she receives her honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Chester tomorrow (Friday, March 16).

Camilla, who also holds the title Countess of Chester, is a champion of literacy and is receiving the award at the cathedral from university Chancellor Dr Gyles Brandreth.

As she prepares to leave the ceremony, she will meet 10 Year 6 students from the University Church Free School (UCFS), based in Union Street, opposite Chester’s Grosvenor Park.

They will present her with a selection of their creative writing prepared in honour of the royal visit.

Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall . (Photo by Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Each child wrote a piece of ‘flash fiction’ – very short stories, which, in this case, are no more than 75 words – using royal themes as their starting point such as this year’s royal wedding and the imminent arrival of Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s baby brother or sister.

The flash fiction was then assessed by two senior lecturers in the Department of English at the University of Chester – Drs Ashley Chantler and Peter Blair – who are both editors of Flash, a journal dedicated to flash fiction.

Dr Chantler and Dr Blair are also directors of the International Flash Fiction Association.

Assessing the work, Dr Ashley Chantler said: “We very much enjoyed reading all the flash fiction that the children produced. The work was all of a very high standard.”

Mrs Erica Cowley, Year 6 teacher at UCFS – who has previously worked with the National Literacy Trust – said: “I was very proud of all of the children’s contributions. The children are really talented writers so I knew when I set them the challenge of writing their Flash Fiction, they would write fantastic stories.”

University vice-chancellor Professor Tim Wheeler with Chancellor Gyles Brandreth when Mr Brandreth was awarded an honorary doctorate.

Pupil Lilly Pilling, 11, said: “It was a once in a lifetime experience to write for such an important occasion.”

Fellow student Darcy Furlong-Hart, 10, said: “Writing a Flash Fiction for Prince George and Princess Charlotte was very enjoyable. But it was a bit of a struggle to write a good story with only 75 words. I tried really hard and I am very proud of my story.”

Lily Wehbeh, 11, said: “I enjoy writing very long descriptive stories, so having the task of writing a Flash Fiction story using only 75 words was a big challenge, but I really loved doing it.”

Jonathan Farrington, principal of UCFS, added: “The school is honoured to have the opportunity to take part in such a special occasion. All the children are looking forward to Friday and they are extremely excited to know that the audience for their stories is a royal VIP with a particular passion for literature.”

■ The children meeting HRH the Countess of Chester are: Isobel Ayling (aged 10); Ella Bargery (aged 10); Ruby Burns-Buckland (aged 10); Darcy Furlong-Hart (aged 10); Lili Homer (aged 11); Eve Mackay (aged 10); Alexandra Modoi (aged 10); Lilly Pilling (aged 11); Lily Wehbeh (aged 11); and Isaac Wood (aged 10).