Sporting his iconic blue duffle coat and soft red hat, Paddington Bear answered a royal invitation to sit with Queen Elizabeth II for tea at Buckingham Palace as part of the Platinum Jubilee festivities this past Saturday celebrating her 70 years on the throne.

It didn’t take long for the pair to realize they have something in common. Setting down a teapot, the polite bear offers the queen a marmalade sandwich, which he had kept tucked deep inside his red brimmed hat.

“I always keep one for emergencies,” he tells her.

Unphased, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II opened a black handbag and pulled out a sandwich, too.

“So do I,” she says. “I keep mine in here.”

Paddington’s eyes widen a bit, and he gasps, realizing that he and the Queen may indeed have a deep bond of friendship.

“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 with laughter and applause from the crowd.

The scene recalled the moment Elizabeth appeared as a Bond girl in a short film for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

“Her majesty is well known for her sense of humor, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight’s sketch,” the palace said. “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 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.

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SCIFI Radio Staff
SCIFI Radio Staff

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