In a moment that will forever be etched into the history of the British monarchy, the late Queen Elizabeth II proved she could be the epitome of comedy during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. The monarch, who was 96 at the time, stunned the world – and her own family – by appearing in a pre-recorded sketch with the beloved CGI character, Paddington Bear.
The film, which opened the ‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ concert, saw the two British icons sharing tea at Buckingham Palace, and it has since become one of the most-watched royal moments of all time. The sketch begins with Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) clumsily enjoying tea with Her Majesty. In true Paddington fashion, things quickly go south as the bear drinks straight from the teapot spout and accidentally splatters a cream scone onto a stoic footman, played by Ghosts and Horrible Histories star, Simon Farnaby.
However, the “show-stopping” moment came when Paddington offered the Queen a marmalade sandwich from under his hat, telling her: “I always keep one for emergencies.”
With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, the Queen replied, “So do I,” before opening her iconic black Launer handbag to reveal her own sandwich, adding: “I keep mine in here… for later.”
Speaking at the Big Jubilee Lunch the next day, held at Paddington Recreation Ground, the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, joked about the sketch: “I’ve always wondered what was in her handbag and now we know,” she said. “The secret is out, it’s a marmalade sandwich.”
The sketch was kept so secret that even senior members of the Royal Family were reportedly kept in the dark until the cameras rolled on the giant screens outside the Palace. The then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were seen laughing and looking genuinely astonished as they watched the Queen’s comedic timing from the Royal Box.
A palace spokesman said at the time: “Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight’s sketch. There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss.”
The skit was reminiscent of the Queen’s appearance alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond in a video that aired at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics Games.
“She has surprised us with the Paddington Bear sequence like the Bond one,” a close insider said. “It’s always her, ‘let’s take a chance’ and surprise us. And show a wonderful witty side of herself. It was truly remarkable.”
At the end of the skit, the equerry looked out the Buckingham Palace windows and told the Queen that the party was about to begin.
“Happy Jubilee, Ma’am,” Paddington said. “And thank you…for everything”. The Queen replied, “That’s very kind.”
These final seconds took on a heartbreaking new significance following the Queen’s passing in September 2022. Within hours of the announcement of her death, the official Paddington Bear Twitter account posted the quote once more, amassing millions of likes as fans used the phrase to say their final goodbyes.
Mourners also flooded the gates of Buckingham Palace with thousands of marmalade sandwiches and plush Paddington toys, which Queen Camilla then donated to Barnardo’s, a children’s charity of which the Queen had been Patron for 30 years before passing the role to Camilla in 2016.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
