Queen Elizabeth made a surprise appearance with Paddington Bear in a sketch to mark her Platinum Jubilee.
The 96-year-old monarch delighted the audience by sharing tea with the famous fictional bear at Windsor Castle at the start of the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday (04.06.22).
The Queen was unable to attend the event but the sketch came as a surprise to some of her closest relatives. The monarch was determined to play some part to show the British public how much the celebrations have meant to her in a sketch that had echoes of her appearance with James Bond at London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “While the Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great 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 sketch saw Her Majesty inviting Paddington for cream tea which goes wrong when the clumsy bear drinks the monarch’s cup of tea and sprays a footman with cream from a chocolate eclair.
Paddington also showed the monarch that he keeps marmalade sandwiches under his hat, with the Queen revealing that she keeps some in her handbag.
Paddington then congratulates the Queen on her 70-year reign, saying: “Happy Jubilee Ma’am. And thank you for everything.”
The monarch replies: “That’s very kind.”
The sequence ended with the Queen and Paddington using a spoon to tap the beat to Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ on a china teacup as the rockers started the musical performances.