Horrid Henry Meets the Queen

Horrid Henry Meets the Queen Perfect Peter bowed to himself in the mirror. “ Your Majesty, " he said, pretending to present a bouquet. “ Welcome to our school, your Majesty. My name is Peter, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty. Goodbye, Your Majesty. " Slowly Perfect Peter retreated backwards, bowing and smiling. “ Oh shut up, " snarled Horrid Henry. He glared at Peter. If Peter said‘Your Majesty’one more time, he would, he would - Horrid Henry wasn't sure what he'd do, but it would be horrible.

The Queen was coming to Henry's school! The real live Queen! The real live Queen, with her dogs and jewels and crowns and castles and beefeaters and knights and horses and ladies-in-waiting, was coming to see the Tudor wall they had built. Yet for some reason Horrid Henry had not been asked to give the Queen a bouquet. Instead, the head, Mrs Oddbod, had chosen Peter. Peter!

Why stupid smelly old ugly toad Peter? It was so unfair. Just because Peter had more stars than anyone in the‘Good as Gold' book, was that any reason to choose him? Henry should have been chosen. He would do a much better job than Peter. Besides, he wanted to ask the Queen how many TVs she had. Now he'd never get the chance. “ Your Majesty, ” said Peter, bowing. “ Your Majesty, " mimicked Henry, curtseying. Perfect Peter ignored him. He'd been ignoring Henry a lot ever since he'd been chosen to meet the queen. Come to think of it, everyone had been ignoring Henry. “ Isn't it thrilling?” said Mum for the millionth time.

“ Isn't it fantastic?” said Dad for the billionth time. “ NO! ” Henry had said. Who'd want to hand some rotten flowers to a stupid queen anyhow? Not Horrid Henry. And he certainly didn't want to have his picture in the paper, and everyone making a fuss. “ Bow, bouquet, answer her question, walk away, " muttered Perfect Peter. Then he paused. “ Or is it bouquet, bow?” Horrid Henry had had just about enough of Peter showing off. “ You're doing it all wrong, " said Henry. “ No I’m not, " said Peter. “ Yes you are, " said Henry. “ You're supposed to hold the bouquet up to her nose, so she can have a sniff before you give it to her. " Perfect Peter paused. “ No I’m not, " said Peter. Horrid Henry shook his head sadly. “ I think we'd better practice, " he said.

“ Pretend I'm the Queen. " He picked up Peter's shiny silver crown, covered in fool's jewels, and put it on his head. Perfect Peter beamed. He'd been begging Henry to practise with him all morning. “ Ask me a question the Queen would ask, " said Peter. Horrid Henry considered. “ Why are you so smelly, little boy?" said the Queen, holding her nose. “ The Queen wouldn't ask that! " gasped Perfect Peter. “ Yes she would, " said Henry. “ Wouldn't. ” “ Would. " “ And I'm not smelly! ” Horrid Henry waved his hand in front of his face.