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Paddington Bear joins Queen Elizabeth II for tea at Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth II shows off a marmalade sandwich in a video with Paddington Bear shown during the Platinum Party At The Palace at Buckingham Palace on June 4.
Alastair Grant
/
WPA Pool/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II shows off a marmalade sandwich in a video with Paddington Bear shown during the Platinum Party At The Palace at Buckingham Palace on June 4.

Sporting his iconic blue duffle coat, Paddington Bear sat down with Queen Elizabeth II for tea at Buckingham Palace as part of the Platinum Jubilee festivities celebrating her 70 years on the throne.

It was a meeting for the ages, and it didn't take long for the duo to realize they have something in common. Setting down a teapot, the polite bear offers the queen a marmalade sandwich, which was tucked deep inside his red brimmed hat.

"I always keep one for emergencies," he tells her.

Unlatching a black handbag, she pulls out a sandwich, too.

"So do I," she says. "I keep mine in here."

Paddington gasps, his eyes widening.

"For later," the queen says.

The queen's meeting with Paddington was screened to a crowd of thousands outside of Buckingham Palace to open a concert to celebrate the queen. The short video was met withlaughter and applause from the crowd, according to The Associated Press.

The sketch was just one part of the multi-day celebration. Festivities included the queen's birthday parade, musical performances and appearances from Prince Charles and Prince William.

The queen, who is 96, did not attend in-person. The palace cited "episodic mobility issues," according to the AP.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Rina Torchinsky