The Queen and Paddington bear: What does Queen Elizabeth have to do with Paddington Bear?

The royal family and the queen have long been associated with the classic children’s book character Paddington Bear.

In celebration of her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, the queen appeared in a skit with the beloved character.

In that sketch, the Queen offered the clumsy bear her usual good-natured hospitality while pulling a marmalade sandwich from her handbag.

Even though she was unable to attend the main live event due to her health, the smiling monarch made a reassuring appearance.

Some of the people who worked on the Paddington films wrote the sketch. “We knew Paddington and the Queen stood for, and still stand for, certain similar values – the idea that being kind and polite and the world will be right,” co-writer James Lamont told BBC Radio 5 Live recently.

Following the Jubilee, artist Eleanor Tomlinson created a painting of the Queen and Paddington walking hand in hand, which quickly went viral on social media.

That image has now become a common sight among the tributes. “It’s one thing to see something online and see it being shared and the lovely comments, but to see it in that kind of setting, among a sea of flowers and tributes, it’s something completely different,” Tomlinson told BBC Look North.