Have a go at our next caption competition (above) and win a prize of Fairtrade chocolate!

Email your entries to: captioncompetition@churchtimes.co.uk

or send by post (postcards only) to:

Caption Competition
Church Times
108-114 Golden Lane
London EC1Y 0TG

Entries must be received by Friday 18 January.

Here are this week’s winners:

PAPA

So, you see, it was absolutely essential that those three kings were free to express themselves on a subject that inspired them
Andrew Todd

Austerity continues to influence school activities: they were expecting three kings, but only got one prince
Maree Foster

WE THINK that some readers of our Christmas issue may have indulged in a little too much celebratory sherry, judging by the irreverence of some entries. There was certainly a theme.

• Now children, this man, too, was born to be King (Paulette Yallop)
• May I borrow a crown? I haven’t got one of my own yet (Janet Appleby)
• One has always wanted to be a King. . . . (John Radford)
• Charles bravely held back his tears as yet again he failed to be cast as a king. Maybe next year. . . (Janet Chapman)
• Prince Charles thought this might be his only chance to be a king (Sue Chick)
• Now, children, can you tell me who was the son of somebody very special and makes us all very happy to see him? And we’ve been waiting for him for a very long time? (Christopher Wain)
• Now which of you three Kings is going to give me your crown? (Lesley Cope)
• No matter how or where he tries, Prince Charles just cannot get the role of King (Chris Coupe)
• You can’t be a king: kings have crowns. You can be a shepherd, if you like (John Appleby)
• Do you need anyone to play the King? (Anthony Warton)
• Are you seeking the man born to be King? (Edward Mynors)
• Do you think I could take a king’s part? (Janet Stockton)
• But Mummy said I could play the ‘Prince born to be King’ (Tracey Jones)

Members of the royal family are nothing if not good at judging their audience:

• And that, children, is the important difference between Nestorianism, Eutychianism, and a classic Chalcedonian explanation of the nature of Christ in the incarnation (Andrew Greenhough)
• I’m sure that you all want to use the Authorised Version (Patrick Irwin)
• Well, you all look quite splendid. I do a fair amount of dressing up myself (Bridget Swan)
• The Duchess couldn’t join one today: she’s rather busy with the Christmas decorations at home (Richard Strudwick)
• Did your mummy ask you what you wanted to be when you grew up? (Richard Crockett)
• You’re right, sonny. When I was your age, I didn’t want to be one of the kings either (John Saxbee)
• Did you make your own crowns? I borrowed mine from mother (Valerie Budd)

Some other entries that we enjoyed:

• The stunned silence on both sides that followed the nativity play did not augur well for the future of the monarchy (Vicky Lundberg)
• No, my boy, I don’t think the star the wise men saw was really a drone over Bethlehem Airport (Ray Morris)
• Don’t be afraid. I’m not really a king either, and my mummy also knows a lot more about this story than I do (Fraser Clark)
• And in the middle of the nativity scene stood the Christmas Charles tree (Dawn Rowley-White)
• You may not think I look like a wise man, but I think I’d make a great king (Terri Bond)
• The children wondered when the Three Wise Men were going to turn up (Tim Hind)
• HRH: ‘Do you know who I am?’ Child: “No, but Miss will tell you if you ask her’ (David Bowen)