Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee by having tea with Paddington
Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee with a furry friend.
In a new video shared on social media Saturday, the Queen — who, at age 96, is celebrating 70 years as head of the monarchy with a slew of events — sits down for tea with Paddington Bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw). Unfortunately for the Queen, the bear in the blue jacket and red hat doesn’t know how to drink tea the royal way. Instead, he gulps directly from the tea pot, leaving little left for the royal to enjoy.
Fortunately, the two find some common ground. When Paddington reveals he keeps a marmalade sandwich in his hat, the Queen shares that she, too, has one handy — in her purse.
Followers on social media loved the clip. One responded to the Royal Family's Twitter account, "You couldn’t get anything more a British than Paddington and the Queen!" Another gushed, "This is fabulous! I adore how in recent years her Majesty has been showing her sense of humor more than ever."
This is not the first time that the Queen has interacted with a famous film character. She also appeared in a video for the 2012 Olympics in London with Daniel Craig’s James Bond, who is also a Brit.
The Queen’s video with Paddington is one way she can participate in the Jubilee this year, after sitting out the church service on Friday due to “discomfort” at events earlier in the week.
In a statement, the royal shared how happy she was to honor the major milestone.
“I know that many happy memories will be created at these festive occasions,” she said. “I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and hope that the coming days will provide an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last 70 years, as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm.”
In addition to celebrating the Jubilee, the Queen had another major event to honor: her great granddaughter Lilibet’s first birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter received a social media shout out from the official Royal Family Twitter account, which tweeted, “Wishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!”