Queen laughs as girls shout ‘You’re the best Queen in the world’ at her as she unveils plaque at housing development

THE Queen laughed as a little girl yelled "you're the best Queen in the world" today.

The 93-year-old couldn't help but chuckle at the boisterous praise on her first public engagement since returning from Balmoral.

She appeared in good spirits all day after heading to the Haig Housing development near Morden, south London, to officially open the charity's 70 new homes for veterans and their families.

And it was as she unveiled a plaque with a flourish that the bold youngster called out to tell her she was the "best".

The monarch, who wore a cornflower blue dress and coat from designer Angela Kelly, alongside a matching hat, was seen smiling after hearing the praise.

It was a busy engagement for the Queen, who also met 100-year-old Ken Souter who flew with the RAF in north Africa during the Second World War.

The centenarian, who also flew one of the four Lancaster bombers in the 1954 Dambusters film, showed the Queen the telegram he received on his 100th birthday.

The Queen said she was "glad to see" the card had arrived, as she is "always worried" the post will not be delivered on time.

She also met Invictus Games silver medallist Dan Phillips, who called the day an "absolutely incredible experience".

Mr Phillips, who uses a wheelchair after being injured in Afghanistan in 2012, previously met the Duke of Sussex during trials for the Invictus Games in 2017.

His son, Harry, then two, was caught on camera having a boxing match with the Duke, as his Dad fought to qualify for hand-cycling, indoor rowing, powerlifting and archery.

Mr Phillips said after Friday's event: "I was a young lad that grew up on a council estate, snotty nose, holes in my shoes.

"For somebody like that to get to meet the Queen is brilliant."

The Queen also chatted to a number of veterans who completed a 100-mile walk from Ypres to London - The Long Walk Home - last year, to mark the centenary of the Armistice.

She has been patron of Haig Housing since 1952 and was handed dozens of bunches of flowers and greeted by hundreds of local schoolchildren during her hour-long visit.

Haig Housing is the country's largest military housing charity, with more than 1,500 properties across the UK.

The site in Morden first opened almost 100 years ago, following the end of the First World War.

The charity offers the opportunity for the most seriously injured veterans to get onto the property ladder and become joint owners of homes that have been specially adapted to suit their needs.