What was Paddington bear got to do with the Queen?

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom from 6 February 1952 until her death on 8 September 2022 is being widely celebrated.

Paddington Bear, who in June, starred with the Queen in a special short film to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, gave a brief but poignant message for his dining companion via Twitter, writing;

“You were my grandmother’s idol and we are here today because you’re so much to all of us. Thank you for every memory.”

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Paddington Bear, the friendly spectacled bear from “darkest Peru” – with his old hat, battered suitcase, duffel coat and love of marmalade – has become a classic character in British children’s literature.

Paddington Bear has been adapted for television, films and appeared in commercials and has also been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond, and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and other artists.

The critically acclaimed and commercially successful films Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017) were both nominated for the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.