Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy is a complicated one, to say the least, and the royal family and fans from around the world have mourned the passing of the monarch in their respective ways. During yesterday’s BAFTA TV Awards, fans awarded the late monarch the Memorable Moment award for an extra sweet moment during last June’s Platinum Jubilee when Queen Elizabeth II stopped by for a spot of tea with Paddington Bear.
For those who don’t recall the unexpected moment, the Queen had Paddington over for some tea. Paddington doesn’t mind his manners and accidentally drinks all the tea before serving the Queen. Luckily, he has some emergency marmalade sandwiches in his hat to make up for the indiscretion, and he offers one up to the Queen — but she also has some emergency marmalade sandwiches in her purse.
Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear were up against some tough competition, mind you. There was the stunning finale of Derry Girls. And what sci-fi fan could forget Max’s heroic rescue in Stranger Things? Then there was Mo Farah revealing his story in The Real Mo Farah, the final roundtable of The Traitors, and Nick and Charlie’s kiss in Heartstopper.
But it was that tea party with the Queen that stole the show. It was all part of the BBC’s coverage for the Platinum Jubilee: Party in the Palace, which celebrated 70 years of Her Majesty’s reign.
Accepting the award, Simon Farnaby, the actor behind the Paddington franchise who plays the royal guard who gets some custard on his face in the clip, said, “This moment was a farewell to the Queen, who is no longer with us. We accept this award on her behalf and say, ‘Thank you, Ma’am, for everything.'”
The moment was so impactful that after the Queen’s passing, fans started sending Paddington Bears to honor her. Ultimately, then-Queen Consort Camilla (now Queen Camilla, following King Charles III’s coronation) kept Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy alive by giving away the hundreds of Paddington Bears left by mourners in royal residences.
Revisit the award-winning clip of Queen Elizabeth below:
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