A Very Beary Tribute To Her Majesty The Queen
By Jana I
The world was shaken by the news of the Queen’s passing on September 8th 2022. People believed that the Queen would outlive us all. She was always a burst of colorful energy.
The Queen never wore boring, wishy-washy colors. She was bold, and her fashion choices represented that. Her youthful presence is what gave her an eternal aura, a sense that she will never leave us, and that she will forever be the ruler of England.
However, reality hit us when we least expected it, and we learned the Queen had left this world comfortably, surrounded by her immediate family. Today, we wanted to pay tribute to Her Majesty, and share a few adorable moments from the teatime between Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear.
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
Paddington Bear first appeared in a children’s book by Michael Bond in the 1950s, not long after Queen Elizabeth II took the throne. This was a wonderful coincidence, considering that a few decades later, they’d work together and create a marvelous sketch.
The sketch was filmed in Windsor Castle. The two had a nice tea party, where they chatted and got to know each other better. It was an ultimate sweet and wholesome moment. After the news about Queen’s passing, Paddington Bear paid tribute online.
Keeping Toast For Later
After their tea time started, the two shared a few awkward looks and phrases. The Queen mostly observed Paddington’s unusual behavior, whereas Paddington felt truly honored and blessed to be there, and perhaps a little starstruck. One thing took him by surprise, though.
Her Majesty revealed that she keeps a couple of pieces of toast in her bag. As she says: she saves them for later. Paddington realized in that exact moment that the Queen is a kind-hearted, simple creature, like all of us.
Tea?
When the Queen offered tea to Paddington Bear, he didn’t hesitate! No, no; He took that teapot and started drinking it straight from the source. He never thought of using the cup that was served earlier. And why would he?!
This was the moment we described earlier. He looks so cute doing this, but when you think of Her Majesty, and how she was brought up, this must have seemed silly and even a bit disrespectful. Nonetheless, the Queen stayed poised, very much intrigued by this soft teddy.
Despite Everything…
Despite their obvious differences and family backgrounds, the two managed to find common grounds. This was a very wholesome sketch to watch. Almost all the snapshots we are using here are from the video itself. Check it out on YouTube.
Paddington quickly realized he wasn’t behaving appropriately, so he offered the Queen some tea. Finally, his redemption arc! Yet, when he got around to it, there was no tea left in the teapot. He drank it all. This was all followed by the Queen’s sweet smile.
Smile Goes a Long Way
What we liked most about Her Majesty was that she always had a smile on her face, and it would unmistakably make everyone around her smile back. She didn’t judge Paddington’s manners, or lack thereof, because she knew that people were more complex than what they showed on the surface.
When she smiled, she shined. Her smile was her most beautiful statement piece. We’d like to take a sec to point out the Queen’s impeccable two piece costume. It is so cheerful and vibrant! The obvious contrast between the blue and yellow, with rows of pearls around her neck, simply stunning!
Yellow is Her Color
In one interview, the Queen said that if she was wearing beige, gray or black, she would simply get lost in the crowd, and no one would realize it’s her. No one would pay her any attention. She would be invisible. So, she decided to experiment.
Just look at her silhouette in yellow! She looks, well, regal! Paddington Bear is there too, yes. He looks cute as heck, too. Although, the Queen is what steals all of our attention at the moment. We will include more of her fashion statements soon!
Paddington, is That You?!
Who said Paddington can’t be a fashion icon, too?! He heard us talking about the Queen and her costumes, and so he decided to treat us with one of his! We found this picture and were simply in love with this Care Bear wearing a UK flag.
Doesn’t he look just dashing? Paddington Bear is real gentleman here! Or shall we say: gentlebear? What do we think is the proper term for this fella? Don’t worry, Paddington; we will never forget to talk about your haute couture moments!
Ma’amalade Sandwich
The reason why Paddington and the Queen bonded instantly over a few pieces of toast is because Paddington offered her a ma’amalade sandwich (marmalade) as he took it out of his hat. He said it was for emergencies only.
The gaze Paddington has after the Queen revealed her marmalade sandwich is the gaze of love! He was flabbergasted, impressed, and at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe he, a lowly bear, had so much in common with Her Majesty.
Artwork
A lot of artists were inspired by this crucial, historical moment! It was super wholesome and gave the Queen a completely new dimension. People looked at her from a completely new perspective, and wanted to cherish that, so they got to drawing, painting, composing, whatever it was they did best.
This event, and celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, must be incredibly valuable for the UK citizens. The rest of the world is observing, watching from afar, but no one knows their true sentiments at the moment. At least they have this beautiful artwork by which to remember some wonderful moments.
Eating the Toast
Now, whenever someone mentions a marmalade sandwich, we are certain they, or we, would think of this particular sketch, which was released earlier this year. Look at this photo of Paddington and tell us he is not remembering Elizabeth II.
He is looking up, paying respects to his Queen, and remembering the good times they had at the palace. When he drank tea, and when he smashed a pie on the table, and almost dropped the teapot…Yeah, such wholesome memories…
Costume Party
Not only is this friendship a tremendous inspiration for artwork, doodles, and drawings, a lot of people and children all over the world take these two as a perfect costume for dressing-up or going to an event like Halloween.
These two kids had an amazing picnic, dressed up as Her Majesty herself and Paddington Bear. Their costumes, masks, and makeup are amazing! The cutlery set is beautiful, too! We love everything about this picture. What an iconic cultural moment.
The Terrace
When royals go out on the balcony, it’s a big moment everyone is looking for. An artist took this moment as inspiration, and decided to place Paddington the Bear and the Queen Elizabeth on the balcony together. Let’s take a look!
This is a brand new pastel painting of Her Majesty and her new best friend from an artist we found on Instagram, Andrew Western. We think Mr. Western is very talented. His pastel painting’s name is “ROYAL BALCONY SURPRISE!” Check it out if you like his artwork!
Some More Artwork
We know you want to see more, so we have another artwork for you. This might be one of our favorites. It is so beautifully done; so simple, and yet so effective. Sometimes the most simple of things are the best out there.
When you want to capture the essence of a wholesome moment, of an unmatched, yet rather unexpected friendship, you just need the simplicity of it. There is nothing that can describe it, so better not try to and overdo it as a result. Keep it simple, and make it beautiful.
A Gentleman!
Before we address the sadder part of this ordeal, we want to show you some more pictures of Paddington’s amazing clothes, and how he looked like before he entered the royal palace and had tea with Her Majesty Elizabeth II.
He looks like a kid on a trip, very excited to visit some landmarks and famous places around the UK. His red rain hat and a marine blue coat is what’s giving us this feeling of childlike wonder and nostalgia. And don’t even get us started on his briefcase — such an adorable sight.
His Idol
We feel like Paddington Bear might be highly influenced by the Queen, both in his sense of style and his aspiration to improve and become a better mannered individual. We looked at this photo and couldn’t resist the feeling he is mimicking her!
Although we are clearly joking and trying to make light out of this situation, we still like to imagine these scenarios in our head. Maybe that is the way we cope with it. Whatever it is, we hope we are making you smile and giggle.
An Amazing Drawing
This is something we found online and have fallen in love with. It is a drawing of the Queen, Paddington, and one of the Queen’s wonderful, fluffy corgis. If you didn’t know, the Queen loved corgis, and had a lot of them!
If you look at the details of the picture, you’ll notice a lot of symbols we talked about: the Queen’s signature black bag, half a marmalade toast on the floor, etc. This is such a lovely artwork. It looks like they are walking her to the other side…
Paddington’s Twitter Post
When the news broke on the afternoon of September 8th, Paddington Bear took to Twitter and said, “Thank you Ma’am, for everything.” For some reason, this tweet was so heartbreaking to us, and we couldn’t bear it. No pun intended.
Although he is a fictional character, only existing in books and imagination, he was still a part of something amazing: The celebration of Platinum Jubilee for the Queen Elizabeth II. That is a big thing. She didn’t do that for and with just anyone.
The Queen, 007
The only time the Queen had a cameo of sorts was with Daniel Craig as James Bond in an opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in 2012. Although this is not directly connected to Paddington, it is to the Queen’s cheeky appearances when it’s least expected.
The Queen was, of course, accompanied by her loyal corgi army, and she boarded a helicopter, ready to fly with Mr. Bond himself. They later jumped out with parachutes, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Queen didn’t use a stunt double for that.
Rock On, Queen!
The Queen was a rock star! Firstly, she lived a long, fulfilling life. She was not one to shy away and be quiet when she is supposed to be loud. No. The Queen was bold and daring, as she has shown in the way she dressed, walked, and talked.
The moment we loved about that sketch with Paddington is that, in the end, they start slamming their tea cups with spoons in the rhythm of a song: ‘We Will Rock You’ by the Queen. This play on words is something we never saw coming, but were deeply impressed by it.
‘For Later’
Let’s start showing some of things the people were leaving for the Queen as a tribute to her. One of them was a piece of toast, or marmalade sandwich (we can’t tell), wrapped in a plastic bag. They wrote ‘for later’ at the top.
This image has a very meaningful message. The Queen was not only royalty, she was a part of the popular culture, one of the people, a historical figure that will be remembered for a long time. She not only became a synonym for grace and long life, but for marmalade sandwiches, too.
The Flowers
When someone passes, people usually tend to bring flowers in order to pay their respects. What’s more, they usually pick up white or pale pink flowers. This should represent hope, the other side, Heaven, and a better future for the family.
People felt like the Queen Elizabeth II was different. They brought her numerous bunches of wild flowers. There are roses, marigolds, zinnias. The sight is colorful, it feels alive, and it feels youthful, just like the Queen was. Paddington is there as well.
Another Gorgeous Tribute
It doesn’t end there, of course. The Queen was adored by many. She didn’t only have her big family to surround herself with while passing, no. She had an uncountable number of people that loved her and everything she represented.
It turns out that this is a common theme about the death of Her Majesty. The flowers are as colorful as her costumes and clothing were. The people are trying to celebrate her greatness, her uniqueness, with their choice of flowers. Bold pink, orange, and purple! We love it so much!
Thank You
People want to remember the Queen by all the good she did in the UK. She tried to protect her people the best she could, and it’s not a coincidence she led such a long life — 96 years long, to be exact. She cared about others, and her beautiful heart granted her longevity.
“To The Queen, Thank you. x” — That’s one of the simplest messages, but one that is super effective. A simple, humble goodbye. She knows what she did for her people, she knows her impact on the people and the culture. Now, they walked her to the pearly gates and said their farewell.
A Friendship Even in the Afterlife
The friendship that Her Majesty and Paddington managed to kindle, despite their differences, social circles, childhood and family background, is an inspiration for everyone that has seen it. It shows tolerance, sensibility, reason, true love, and a kind heart.
Although we are not sure if she actually gave Paddington a piggyback on her shoulders, we still wanted to share regardless. Whoever edited this photo is a brilliant mind that must be protected at all costs. This is how we want to remember her.
One Last Goodbye
This is one last goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II. We and Paddington Bear equally tried to pay our respects as best as we could. We wanted to share silly, funny, and beautiful moments, and balance them out with the somber ones from September 8th.
We needed to give our tribute, along with all the other people of the UK and the rest of the world. There are no rules to grieving. We wish her a peaceful transition to the other side, and want to send her one last message: Thank you, Queen Elizabeth. You will be remembered forever.